


Druid's Blessing

by coockie8



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Adultery, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Corporal Punishment, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Insecurity, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Magical Pregnancy, Morning Sickness, Mpreg, Mutual Pining, Non-Consensual Spanking, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Period-Typical Homophobia, Physical Abuse, Polyamory, Rimming, Self-Esteem Issues, Sex Magic, Spanking, Unplanned Pregnancy, Victim Blaming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:40:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 31,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28918488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coockie8/pseuds/coockie8
Summary: Merlin gets mortally wounded on a hunt with Arthur. Luckily, a passing Druid is kind enough to heal him while Arthur's out getting water, but there may be more to her spell than she's letting on.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 71
Kudos: 269





	1. Injury

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is. I made merthur children on the faceapp a while back, and it inspired me to write this. Hope you like it :)

Arthur sighed softly to himself as he threw another log on the fire. He glanced over at Merlin’s trembling form, curled in a ball under a blanket. It was supposed to be a simple hunting trip, just him and Merlin, but they’d been attacked. Arthur was fine, but Merlin had been hit with a poisoned arrow.

“Are you awake?” He asked softly.

Merlin shifted and made a small noise, but didn’t respond other than that. Arthur scooted closer to him and gently rubbed his shoulder

“Merlin,” He urged “Talk to me.”

Merlin groaned and peeked up at Arthur. He looked like death, sickly and pale

“I’m okay,” He croaked.

Arthur winced at the sound and ruffled a hand through Merlin’s hair before grabbing his canteen. He cursed under his breath when he found it was empty

“Stay here, I need to go get some water,” He sighed as he pushed himself to his feet.

Merlin let out a weak chuckle

“Where would I go?” He teased softly.

Arthur smirked. So Merlin still had enough energy to joke? That was a good sign.

Merlin watched Arthur leave before rolling over onto his back and just staring up at the top of the cave they’d taken shelter in. He took a shaky breath and closed his eyes. He was doing his best to seem okay so Arthur wouldn’t worry, but he felt like death. It was becoming difficult just to stay conscious.

He wasn’t sure how long it had been before he was startled awake by hands lifting his shirt. Merlin blinked in confusion before looking up at the cloaked figure hovering over him. Well… That wasn’t good. He screamed at his body to move in his head, to no avail. He was too weak.

Gentle hands tugged the dressing off his wound before covering it. Merlin flinched before he bit his lip as their hands started to glow. He flopped his head back down and just stared up at the stone above him

“P-Please,” He barely managed to stammer.

“It’s alright,” The figure, sounded like a woman, assured “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Merlin looked over at her again

“Who are you?” He mumbled.

She reached up with the hand she wasn’t healing him with and pushed her hood off

“My name is Siani,” She introduced.

Merlin stared into her glowing eyes for a moment before resting his head back again

“Why are you helping me?” He groaned.

Siani tilted her head fondly

“Am I supposed to let you die, Emrys?” She asked.

Merlin’s eyelids fluttered closed

“You’re… A Druid…” He slurred.

Why was he so tired all of a sudden?

“Ssh,” Siani hushed “Sleep. You’ll be healed and blessed when you wake.”

Merlin perked up a bit at ‘blessed’. He wanted to know what that meant, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask as he drifted off to sleep.

Arthur cursed as he stumbled back into the cave just as the sun started to rise. He may have gotten a little lost in the dark while getting water, but no one needed to know that. He froze, the canteen slipping from his grasp, when he saw Merlin, awake and perfectly coherent, crouched next to the fire. He lifted his head and looked over his shoulder when he heard sounds

“Oh, Arthur!” He greeted, pushing himself to his feet “I was starting to worry something had happened.

Arthur carefully approached, reaching up with one hand to cup Merlin’s cheek while gently lifting his shirt with the other, to check the wound, which as no longer there

“I… I don’t understand,” He _finally_ managed to get out “Y-You were dying when I left…”

Merlin leaned into the hand on his cheek just slightly, cheeks dusted a light pink

“I know… A Druid found and healed me while you were gone,” He explained “She’s long gone now.”

Arthur let out a little breath of relief, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He glanced over at his hand, blushing deeply before clearing his throat and pulling away

“Good… I mean… I don’t condone the use of magic, but… I’m glad you’re okay,” He sputtered, turning on his heel and approaching the canteen, bending down to pick it up “I got water…”

Merlin reached up to touch where Arthur’s hand had been, cheek still warm. He averted his gaze and tried not to smile like a love-sick idiot. He lowered his hand and approached Arthur

“I suppose we should be getting back to Camelot?” He wondered.

Arthur handed him the canteen

“We’ll wait until the sun has come up a bit more, and then we’ll head out,” He said.

Merlin took the canteen and drank from it before following Arthur back to the fire and sitting down with him. He put the canteen aside and folded his hands between his legs, where his arms were propped up on his thighs.

They sat in silence for a while, Merlin just staring into the fire. He knew he was crazy, but he could swear he still felt Arthur’s hand on his cheek. He peeked over at his prince and blushed

“You look tired…” He muttered “Maybe you should get some rest?”

Arthur yawned and shook his head

“No point. We’ll be heading out in about an hour or so,” He drawled.

Merlin shifted closer until their arms brushed together and relaxed. He didn’t know why, but he had this almost irresistible urge to be close to Arthur. He tensed when Arthur leisurely wrapped his arm around Merlin’s shoulders and gave him a friendly squeeze

“I really am glad you’re okay,” He sighed.

Merlin figured he should say something, but his brain was sort of frozen at the moment. It wasn’t _that_ unusual a gesture, Arthur had certainly gotten friendly like this with him in the past, but it had never made arousal shoot up his spine before. He glanced down and quickly closed his legs at the sight of the horribly obvious tent in the front of his trousers. Arthur pulled away and Merlin whimpered, _actually whimpered_ , at the loss. He quickly clapped a hand over his mouth. Arthur cocked an amused eyebrow

“What, you don’t want me to stop touching you?” He teased.

The tone and the wording were absolute _torture_ for Merlin. No, he didn’t want Arthur to stop touching him, in fact, he wanted Arthur to touch him _more_. But he couldn’t say that

“S-Sorry…” He mumbled.

What else could he say? If he got to talking too much, he’d blurt out something stupid, and he didn’t want to embarrass himself, or make Arthur uncomfortable. But then, an arm was around him again, pulling him against Arthur’s chest, and Merlin was certain his brain had completely broken this time. He put his hand on Arthur’s chest and hooded his eyes at the feeling of his heartbeat, insultingly calm in contrast to Merlin’s, which was hammering at a mile a minute.

“Relax, Merlin,” Arthur chuckled “You’d think I’ve never touched you before.”

Merlin squeezed his eyes shut, blush getting impossibly deeper

“Stop saying ‘touch’!” He scolded.

Arthur snorted a laugh and he ruffled Merlin’s hair before letting him pull away

“Why? Are you in the mood or something?”

Merlin buried his face in his hands to hide how red it had become, though his ears betrayed him.

“Oh… Well… It appears that you are,” Arthur suddenly commented.

Merlin dropped his hands and tugged his tunic down over the front of his trousers in a panic

“No, I’m not!” He sputtered.

Arthur didn’t seem put off though, if that playful smile Merlin loved so much was anything to go by. But then Arthur hooded his eyes and the vibe went from ‘playful’ to ‘seductive’ in a heartbeat. Merlin swallowed thickly at that look and subconsciously released his tunic, putting his hands back on the ground to brace himself, regardless of how exposed it left him. Well, he _was_ still fully clothed, so it wasn’t _that_ bad.

Arthur crawled forward until he was between Merlin’s legs, their lips inches apart

“Do you want me?” He breathed.

Merlin’s breath hitched and he nodded

“More than anything.” It was out before he could stop it.

All care went out the window as soon as Arthur’s lips were on his. He moaned into the kiss and eagerly wrapped his arms around Arthur’s neck. He didn’t know why he was so unbelievably turned on right now, but Arthur’s hands were pressing up under his tunic and he just didn’t care. All he wanted was Arthur naked. Now.

“P-Please,” He stammered against Arthur’s lips, eagerly pushing his vest off his shoulders before tugging at his shirt.

Arthur chuckled and pulled away, tugging his shirt off over his head

“There. Happy?” He hummed.

Merlin leaned back on his hands, panting heavily as he oggled that chest he’d seen hundreds of times at this point. He’d never had the opportunity to just… _Look_. He licked his lips before biting the bottom one

“I’d be happier if you’d lose the bottoms,” He teased.

Arthur’s eyes widened a fraction before hooding seductively, paired with an equally teasing smirk

“Well, I wouldn’t want to disappoint you,” He purred while pulling his boots off, quickly following them with his trousers and underclothes.

Merlin’s breath hitched when he saw Arthur had already grown hard

“Now I’m happy,” He mumbled excitedly.

Arthur laughed fondly and pecked Merlin on the lips before shifting back and sitting down, leaning back on a hand

“Good,” He hissed “Your turn.”

Merlin lowered his gaze and pursed his lips together. Right… He’d forgotten he’d also have to strip for this. He pulled a knee up to his chest and just stared at Arthur for a moment. Arthur cocked an eyebrow

“Go on then,” He urged “Let me see what I’m working with.”

Merlin awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck

“Just… Remember that I’m not like _you_ ,” He mumbled, wincing a bit at how horribly insecure he sounded.

Arthur tilted his head slightly in confusion as he watched Merlin reluctantly strip

“I know,” He assured “You’re _you_. And I like you that way.”

Merlin froze with his shirt halfway off, blushing deeply before he quickly finished stripping. He sat back down and pulled his knees to his chest, tightly wrapping his arms around them

“Happy?” He muttered.

Arthur pushed himself up onto his knees and gently pried Merlin’s arms open, coaxing him to lower his legs

“ _Very_ ,” He purred, leaning in and kissing Merlin deeply.

Merlin stumbled back a bit before cooing eagerly into the kiss, lifting his hands to feel over Arthur’s chest. He shivered in excitement, Arthur’s chest was so firm and warm. Though, he sort of wanted to get his hands on something _else_ that was firm and warm. He slowly ran a hand down Arthur’s front before carefully pawing at his cock. Arthur broke the kiss with a soft hiss and looked down

“Right,” He breathed “We don’t have all day.”

Merlin batted his eyes a bit. He hadn’t meant it to hurry Arthur along, but he had a point. He let out an undignified squeak when Arthur pushed him to the ground, hovering over him

“How do you want to do this?” He asked.

Merlin bit his lip and looked around, anywhere but at Arthur

“Um… However you want, my Lord,” He sputtered.

Would _now_ be a good time to let Arthur know he was a virgin? Arthur just grinned and kissed Merlin deeply, gently parting his legs and getting comfortable between them. Merlin turned away from the kiss and glanced down at Arthur’s cock

“It’s… Different when it’s hard…” He muttered.

Arthur glanced down and nodded

“Yeah… It’s bigger… And _harder_ ,” He teased, shooting Merlin a playful grin “Not scared, are you?”

Merlin swallowed nervously

“N-No,” He lied.

Arthur just chuckled and patted Merlin’s butt

“Up. On your knees,” He ordered.

Merlin huffed under his breath before begrudgingly doing as he was told. He glanced over his shoulder at Arthur curiously

“You want me like this?” He wondered.

Arthur knelt behind him, running his hands over his backside before parting his cheeks

“Not sure yet, access is just easier like this,” He explained.

Merlin blinked in confusion before going rigid when Arthur kissed his tail bone. A startled moan slipped when Arthur teased his tongue around the rim of Merlin’s hole before dragging a flat-tongued lick hard across it. Merlin shuddered and bit his lip, parting his legs a bit more to give Arthur more room. He scratched his nails against the stone ground and moaned when Arthur’s tongue breached him. He really hadn’t expected _this_ , let alone how incredible it felt.

Merlin shuddered and whimpered at the feeling of Arthur’s tongue thrusting in and out of him, slowly working him open. He could feel drool dripping down his balls, and figured it probably shouldn’t turn him on so much, but hey, he’d also never expected the Crown Prince of Camelot to be eating him out in a cave, so…

Arthur pulled away, chuckling at Merlin’s needy little whine, and the way he arched his back in a silent plead for more. He sucked three fingers into his mouth, getting them good and wet before pulling them out with an audible pop that made Merlin shiver and wiggle his hips in excitement. Arthur closed his eyes and took a breath to calm himself when his heart throbbed at how adorable Merlin was. He traced a finger around the rim before pushing it inside. Merlin was still slack and wet from the tongue-fuck Arthur had recently dished out, so the finger slipped in with ease.

“Arthur…” Merlin panted, peeking over his shoulder.

Arthur glanced down at him and he pumped the finger in and out

“Does it hurt?” He worried, slowing down a bit.

Merlin shook his head

“N-No… It’s just… I uh-” He cut himself off and averted his gaze bashfully “Nevermind.”

Arthur laughed softly

“It’s okay if you’re nervous,” He soothed.

Merlin bit his lip. He _really_ should say something… But he was a little insecure that they were past that point and that now it would just be weird. A second finger pressed inside and he yelped, shooting Arthur a scolding look over his shoulder which accomplished nothing but making Arthur burst out laughing

“Sorry,” He sighed between chuckles “I should’ve warned you.”

Merlin huffed before biting his lip to stifle a whine when Arthur resumed fingering him. He was _way_ too good with his hands, and Merlin was starting to worry he’d finish before they got to the real thing. He opened his mouth to tell Arthur just that, but then his fingers pressed against a spot inside him that had Merlin seeing stars and all that came out was a long, needy moan, coupled with him clenching hard around Arthur’s fingers. A teasing chuckle caused a shudder to run up his spine and he whimpered when Arthur scissored his fingers before pressing the third inside

“You’re almost ready,” Arthur assured “Hold it a little longer for me.”

Merlin blushed deeply

“H-How did you-”

“You’re very obvious,” Arthur teased, using his free hand to brush against Merlin’s balls “They’re getting so tight.”

Merlin squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to think of things that would turn him off, in the hopes it would stave off his impending release

“L-Love your hands,” He whimpered, pressing back into the feeling; not exactly something that would turn him off, but hey, those fingers just demanded his attention.

Arthur scissored his fingers and pressed them against Merlin’s sweet spot, grinning when he whined, before slowly tugging them free, kissing his tailbone again

“I’ve noticed,” He purred playfully, patting Merlin’s butt before sitting down and spreading his legs “Come here and get me wet.”

Merlin pushed himself up on shaky arms, turning and crawling towards Arthur. He flopped down between his legs and wrapped a hand around his cock, lightly kissing the tip. Arthur leaned back on his hands and just fondly watched Merlin

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted those gorgeous lips on my cock,” He sighed, almost dreamily.

Merlin shivered and squeezed his eyes shut, blushing deeply as he took the head into his mouth. He slowly took more in, trying his best to be mindful of his teeth. He gently stroked what wasn’t in his mouth, focusing on just suckling on and lapping at the head. He was dead terrified he’d bite and give away that he’d never done this before.

A hand cupped the back of Merlin’s head, and he peeked up at Arthur as he was slowly guided further down the length. The head touched the back of his throat and he gagged, body lurching forward a bit. He whimpered and gave Arthur an apologetic look, which only made him chuckle fondly

“It’s alright, Merlin,” He soothed “I don’t expect you to be brilliant, you’re only getting me wet.”

Merlin visibly relaxed and let his eyes flutter shut. That set him at ease, he’d have to thank Arthur for the reassurance later. He figured that meant the more he drooled the better, right? Well, at least he didn’t have to be insecure about it then. He pulled off to take a breath, saliva dripping off his chin a bit. Arthur just ruffled his hair

“Good thing you’re so sloppy,” He teased, swiping the drool off Merlin’s chin with his thumb.

Merlin huffed and blushed

“You said get it _wet_!” He grumbled.

Arthur just bursted out laughing, covering his mouth to muffle it

“You’re right, I did,” He chuckled “Good boy.”

Merlin shuddered, cock twitching at the comment. He was certain he wouldn’t have had such a visceral reaction if Arthur praised him more often.

“How would you prefer I take you?” Arthur suddenly asked.

Merlin glanced up at him

“Uh… I don’t know,” He muttered nervously. Would _now_ be a good time? “I’ve… I’ve never exactly… Done _this_ before…”

Arthur just stared at him blankly for a moment

“Wait,” He sputtered once realization hit him “You’re a _virgin_!?”

Merlin winced and averted his gaze

“Y-Yes?” He stammered.

He really hoped that wouldn’t turn Arthur off, because Merlin was _really_ aroused, and they’d already come so far.

“And… You’re okay with this?” Arthur asked carefully.

Merlin lowered his gaze

“Yes,” He assured softly “I… I want you.”

Truth was, Merlin had been fantasizing about losing his virginity to Arthur for some time now, but he didn’t think he should admit to that. Arthur smiled fondly before guiding Merlin back onto his hands and knees. Merlin glanced over at him

“Easy access?” He teased.

Arthur playfully swatted Merlin’s arse, chuckling softly and shaking his head before he lined his cock up. He ran a hand up and down Merlin’s back, cooing at him softly until he lowered his upper body and rested his head on his arms, sighing contently. Arthur took his relaxed distraction to start slowly pushing inside. He buckled a bit and cursed under his breath

“Damn…” He breathed, biting his lip “I didn’t think you’d be _so_ tight.”

Merlin crinkled his nose a bit. It stung, Arthur was _big_ , but it wasn’t unbearable

“That’s a good thing, right?” He panted.

Arthur leaned over Merlin’s back and kissed the spot behind his ear as he bottomed out

“ _Very_ good,” He purred, gently grinding into Merlin’s divine heat.

Waiting for him to adjust was certainly a test of Arthur’s will, but he didn’t want to hurt Merlin. He wanted Merlin’s first time to be something he could remember fondly, at the very least.

“Let me know… When you’re ready,” He mumbled breathlessly.

Merlin made a small sound to indicate that he’d heard, shifting his hips a bit, causing himself to whimper softly. Arthur stroked his hips to help him relax, whispering gentle reassurances in his ear. Merlin glanced back at Arthur, a little smile slipping

“How would I know?” He wondered.

Arthur nuzzled him and sighed fondly

“When it doesn’t hurt much anymore.”

Merlin nodded in understanding. He supposed that made sense…

“Thank you for being so patient with me…” He mumbled.

Arthur cocked an eyebrow and straightened up, continuing to just stroke Merlin’s hips

“It’s your first time,” He said “I understand that this is new for you. I wouldn’t want to hurt or scare you…”

Merlin bit his lip to keep from giggling like an idiot. He wiggled his hips a bit and moaned softly

“P-Pretty sure I’m ready,” He chirped.

Arthur set a slow, shallow pace, easing Merlin into it. He was just happy to finally be moving. He hung his head back and sighed contently, digging his fingers into Merlin’s hips.

“Tell me if I hurt you,” He breathed.

Merlin nodded and shifted his hips back

“I will,” He assured before narrowing his eyes playfully, even though Arthur couldn’t see him “Not that you _could_ hurt me, at the pace you’re going.”

Arthur cocked an eyebrow before pulling a little over halfway out then snapping his hips forward and slamming back in, striking Merlin’s sweet spot and pulling a startled cry from him. He maintained that rough pace, keeping a keen eye that he wasn’t hurting Merlin. They’d definitely have to do this again when they had more time.

Merlin clawed at the ground as Arthur roughly thrusted into him, tormenting that spot. There was no way he’d last long like this, not for his first time. He just hoped Arthur wouldn’t be disappointed. He tossed his head back, pushing himself up on his hands and bit and pressing back to meet Arthur’s thrusts. His pace was sloppy, but he did his best. Arthur certainly wasn’t complaining.

Arthur cursed softly under his breath and picked up the pace. He was a little embarrassed by how close he already was, but he just blamed it on how _perfect_ Merlin felt around his cock

“W-We can do this again sometime… Right?” He asked breathlessly.

Merlin nodded frantically and clenched around Arthur

“Yes!” He cried, digging his nails into the stone a bit.

Arthur leaned down and littered Merlin’s back and shoulders with kisses and hickeys, daring to go a bit up his neck as well. He wanted to see them, wanted to be constantly reminded that Merlin’s virginity belonged to _him_. He reached down and wrapped a hand around Merlin’s cock, fiercely jerking it in time with his erratic thrusts. It was clearly too much for Merlin to handle, because he tumbled over the edge with a desperate moan, spilling his seed over Arthur’s hand.

It didn’t take long before Arthur was filling Merlin up, sinking his teeth into his neck to silence his own wanton moan. He thrusted a few more times to ride out his orgasm before slumping against Merlin’s back, panting to catch his breath. Merlin was in no better shape, he didn’t even complain about how heavy Arthur was.

“Th-Thank you, my Lord,” He whimpered breathlessly.

Arthur breathed a small laugh

“You don’t have to thank me for bedding you,” He teased.

Merlin was quiet for a moment before he shifted a bit

“Oh… Right,” He muttered bashfully “Sorry.”

Arthur straightened up and carefully pulled out, shuddering at the feeling on his oversensitive manhood

“It’s alright, now you know,” He sighed contently, reaching over and grabbing some rags he’d been using to dress Merlin’s wound and quickly cleaned them both up.

He sat down next to the fire and hummed a little tune to himself. He was _very_ happy. Merlin shifted over and cuddle up against his side, clinging to his arm.

“The sun is up…” He commented.

Arthur nodded

“Sure is... “

They sat there in silence for a moment, just enjoying each other’s company, before Arthur let out a small, dejected sigh

“We should get dressed… And head back,” He suggested while pushing himself to his feet.

Merlin gathered up Arthur’s clothes before he stood as well

“Come on then,” He teased with a playful wink.

Arthur snorted a laugh and shook his head before letting Merlin dress him. It was a little strange in a cave, but Arthur couldn’t bring himself to care, not with Merlin still completely nude. He kept his eyes on him even as he dressed himself, and once he was clothed, Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin’s waist from behind, kissing the spot behind his ear

“Are you sure you’re going to be able to ride?” He worried softly.

Merlin held Arthur’s arms and bit his lip, blushing deeply

“I’ll be sore,” He admitted before turning around and wrapping his arms around Arthur’s neck, pressing their foreheads together “But I’ll be fine.”

Merlin knew it wasn’t love. Arthur loved Guinevere, and Merlin was okay with that, if there was anyone deserving of Arthur’s love, it was Gwen. But right now, just the two of them, in _felt_ like love, and that was enough. It had to be.


	2. A Subtle Pull

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't as long as the last one, but it's cute, so hopefully that makes up for it.

The trek back to the castle had been a lot more tedious than Merlin had been expecting. He was a lot more sore than he’d first thought he’d be, but they were back at the castle now, and Merlin was content tidying up Arthur’s chambers, and any other chores he was given, provided he did have to sit. But Arthur wasn’t pushing him, it made Merlin feel fuzzy.

“How are you feeling?” Arthur suddenly asked from where he was looking over a map at his desk.

Merlin blinked for a moment before he realized he should probably answer

“Oh… I’m alright,” He assured “I’m pretty sore, but it’s nothing I can’t manage. I’m happy so long as I’m standing.”

Arthur chuckled fondly at that, not looking up from what he was doing

“I bet. That horse ride back to the Castle must have been hell,” He commented.

Merlin let a little smile slip but didn’t respond. He was just content with the idle chatter. He continued about his tasks, just enjoying Arthur’s company, even if they weren’t taking much. He’d never say it, but he did just like to be around Arthur. Even if he was an arrogant dollop-head most of the time.

Arms wrapped around him from behind and Merlin nearly went through the roof, which just caused Arthur to laugh. Merlin turned in his grip and playfully swatted at him

“Don’t do that!” He huffed.

Arthur just grinned before leaning closer and kissing the tip of Merlin’s nose

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” He hummed “Though, I wouldn’t have if you weren’t such a coward.”

Merlin narrowed his eyes a bit, but he couldn’t hold back a playful little smirk. He bit his lip, eyes lowering to Arthur’s before quickly darting back up to look him in the eye. Arthur just smirked and cocked an eyebrow before pulling Merlin into a longing kiss. Merlin eagerly pressed against him and cooed excitedly.

Arthur chuckled as he slowly ended the kiss, giving Merlin a fond squeeze before reluctantly releasing him

“I… Wouldn’t want to keep you from your work,” He muttered, still holding Merlin’s hand.

He gently brushed the back of it with his thumb. He wanted to be close to Merlin, as close as possible, and he didn’t fully understand why… But he supposed it didn’t really matter, he and Merlin were rarely apart anyway. He took a deep breath and released Merlin’s hand before returning to his desk.

Merlin clasped his hands together, blushing deeply. He couldn’t remember a time when Arthur had ever held his hand before… He found he kind of liked it. No. Not _kind of_ , he _did_ like it. But Arthur was right, even though Merlin would never tell him that; no need to boost his ego further, he _did_ have to get back to work. Unfortunately.

The day went by smoothly, and now the sun had set. Merlin was back in Arthur’s chambers, helping him get ready to sleep. He gathered Arthur’s dirty laundry in a basket and set it aside for a moment, watching as Arthur pulled the corner of the comforter down. He lowered his gaze and bit his lip.

“Merlin…” Arthur started, snapping him out of his thoughts “Would you… Want to stay?”

Merlin’s eyes widened and he blushed, quickly looking up at Arthur

“Stay?” He repeated.

Arthur nodded

“Yeah… Stay here, with me, tonight,” He reworded awkwardly.

Merlin swallowed thickly

“Um… Sure,” He agreed, biting his lip to keep from giggling like a love-sick girl.

He’d never say no to sharing Arthur’s bed. He took a breath before nervously approaching Arthur. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little worried this was a prank of some kind. But Arthur just reached out and pushed Merlin’s coat off his shoulders, before dropping his hands to undo his belt. Merlin clenched his jaw, blushing like crazy

“I d-don’t have any sleep clothes!” He sputtered.

Arthur just smirked, eyes fixed on the task at hand

“I was sort of hoping you wouldn’t be wearing _any_ clothes,” He purred.

Merlin’s breath hitched but he didn’t refuse

“But we’re just going to sleep, right?” He worried “I’m still sore…”

Arthur finally lifted his gaze to meet Merlin’s

“Of course,” He assured “I just want to see you.”

With that, he dropped Merlin’s belt and pulled his tunic off over his head, tossing it aside. Merlin instinctively crossed his arms to cover himself. Arthur didn't bat them away, just reached over Merlin’s shoulders to untie and discard his neckerchief. He smiled fondly before bending over to take off his own trousers, his shirt having been discarded a while ago.

Merlin averted his gaze and blushed once Arthur was bare, as if they hadn’t just had sex earlier that morning. Arthur chuckled fondly at that, but otherwise didn’t tease him. Instead, he turned his attention to ridding Merlin of his trousers

“We don’t have to if you’re uncomfortable,” He breathed.

Merlin swallowed and licked his lips before biting the bottom one again

“I’m okay,” He assured “This will just take some getting used to.”

He winced, internally kicking himself for assuming that this would ever happen again. Arthur stood once he had Merlin naked and pulled him into a deep, loving kiss that just made Merlin _melt_. He actually had to grip Arthur's arms to keep from falling. Arthur carefully led him back until Merlin’s legs hit the bed before gently lowering him to it, reluctantly breaking the kiss once he was lying down. Merlin took deep breaths before scooting further up onto the bed so his legs weren’t awkwardly dangling off it. Arthur just stared fondly at him for a moment before crawling into bed as well

“We can’t make a habit of this,” He commented softly while leaning over to blow out the one remaining lit candle.

He flopped back down, wrapped an arm around Merlin’s shoulders and pulled him against his chest before covering them with the comforter. Merlin lowered his gaze and nuzzled up to Arthur’s chest, pursing his lips together

“I know… I’m sorry for… Assuming…” He mumbled dejectedly.

Arthur frowned a bit

“You don’t have to apologize,” He assured “Believe me, if I could have my way, you’d spend every night here. I only mean we can’t make a habit because we can’t risk my father finding out.”

Merlin’s eyes widened a bit at that and he blushed, an excited little smile slipping. That set his mind at ease. Not that they had to be weary of Uther, but that Arthur didn’t seem to think Merlin was nothing more than a bed warmer. He shifted farther up and pecked Arthur on the lips before snuggling back up to his chest again. He felt so right and at home at Arthur’s side.

“Maybe once you’re King…?” He asked hesitantly.

Arthur tightened his hold around Merlin’s shoulders a bit and chuckled

“Yes. Once I’m King, I’d be more than happy to have you sharing my bed every night,” He sighed sleepily.

Merlin nearly vibrated with excitement and buried his face in the crook of Arthur’s neck to muffle his love-sick giggling.

“I’m looking forward to it…” He hummed contently.

When Arthur didn’t respond, Merlin peeked up at him. A smile slipped when he saw Arthur had fallen asleep. Despite his soreness, Merlin wasn’t all that tired, so he shifted farther up the bed and started fondly running his fingers through Arthur’s hair. He’d fall asleep eventually, but in the meantime he wanted to just comfort his Prince.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's gonna be about a 6 week time skip between this chapter and the next. In fact, there will probably be a lot of time skips in this fic, just so I'm not bogging it down with shit tons of filler.
> 
> Just assume that not much out of the norm happens during these times skips, as I will obviously not skip over something that is crucial to the plot :)


	3. Illness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin wakes up feeling nauseous and no one can seem to figure out why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 3, hope you like it :)

In the six weeks since Merlin and Arthur first slept together, they shared Arthur’s bed six times. Once a week, and on a different day each time, so as to not draw Uther’s attention. He’d spent last night with Arthur, and it was morning now. Merlin’s eyes fluttered open and he glared at the beam of sunlight creeping in through a space between the curtains. It normally ran right across Arthur’s chest, but unfortunately, that’s exactly where Merlin’s head was resting.

He pushed himself up with a heavy sigh before wobbling a bit and quickly covering his mouth when the action caused him to feel horribly nauseous. Well… That wasn’t good. He got out of bed and sluggishly got dressed. Every movement made him queasy. 

Once he was dressed, he made his way around the bed to Arthur’s side and gently shook him awake

“Good morning, my Lord,” He mumbled distractedly before stumbling over to the windows to pull back the curtains.

He felt _awful_. Arthur groaned softly and rolled over, burying his head in the pillows

“Breakfast?” It was barely audible, but Merlin managed to understand.

“Right… I’ll go get it, and you better be out of bed by the time I get back,” He grumbled, with a bit more bite to his tone than he’d intended.

He’d meant for it to be playful, but he couldn’t manage that when it felt like his stomach had a personal vendetta against him. Luckily, he was out of the room before Arthur could ask him about it.

Merlin made his way down to the kitchen, mostly on muscle memory, and when he entered the room he nearly threw up right then. Had to slap a hand over his mouth when he gagged, _hard_ , at the smell before quickly fleeing the room. He leaned against a wall and took deep breaths.

“Are you alright, Merlin?” Gwen worried as she approached.

Merlin cleared his throat and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand to rid himself of the drool he’d started to produce. Gwen soothingly rubbed his back

“Anything I can help you with?” She offered.

Merlin frantically nodded and pointed to the kitchen

“I don’t know _what_ they’re making in there, but I can’t go in there or I’ll throw up,” He explained “C-Can you get Arthur’s breakfast for me?”

Gwen gave him a sympathetic smile

“Of course,” She agreed before heading into the kitchen.

Merlin hung a ways away from the door, waiting for her. It didn’t take long before she’d returned, holding Arthur’s breakfast in one hand and Morgana’s in the other

“I don’t know why the smell upset your stomach so much,” She stated as she handed him the plate “I found it quite nice.”

Merlin took the plate and crinkled his nose. It smelled _horrible_ to him… He pursed his lips together in confusion before shaking his head

“Maybe I’m just _really_ not hungry,” He mumbled before shrugging “Anyway, thanks!”

With that, he waved goodbye and took off back up to Arthur’s chambers, holding his breath most of the time so the smell wouldn’t make him hurl. He didn’t bother to knock, and put the plate down on the table before getting as far away from it as quickly as he could. He opened a window and hung his head out a bit to get some air.

“Merlin?” Arthur wondered as he approached “Are you alright?”

Merlin just groaned from where he was hanging his head out the window

“Honestly? Not really…” He admitted “I feel really nauseous…”

An arm wrapped around him from behind, gently rubbing his tummy, while another hand ran up and down his back

“Was it something you ate?” Arthur worried “Or are you ill?”

Merlin turned around and swallowed thickly

“I’m not sure… I haven’t come into contact with anything that could’ve gotten me sick lately…” He mumbled, leaning into Arthur’s hold “And I don’t think anything I ate yesterday was bad…”

Arthur wrapped his arms completely around Merlin and held him close

“It’s alright,” He soothed “Maybe you should go see Gaius?”

Merlin crinkled his nose a bit before sighing in defeat

“...Alright,” He reluctantly agreed “But I’ll be back.”

Arthur led him to the door, one arm wrapped around his waist, while he held his hand to help keep him stable

“Not if you’re too sick,” He scolded “I’ll… Manage.”

Merlin cocked an eyebrow and chuckled a bit at the somewhat uneasy tone in Arthur’s voice. He wouldn’t manage and they both knew that, but all that knowledge did was make Merlin’s heart flutter.

He’d expected Arthur to only help him to the door, but he instead helped Merlin all the way to the physician’s chambers, which made him flustered beyond belief. For the guy who’d been so firm that they not make a habit of sharing a bed to avoid suspicion from the King, he sure wasn’t being very subtle about their budding relationship. If Merlin could even call it that, since sex was usually the mid to end point of a relationship, not the start.

Now, he was sitting on Gaius’ bed, with the old man looking him over, and Arthur right at his side, in nothing but his trousers and a pair of boots. Merlin was still blushing at the fact Arthur had walked through the castle like that. He still felt nauseous, but not as bad.

After answering a bombardment of questions about his condition, Merlin and Arthur were left alone together while Gaius went off to check some books. It was clear he couldn’t tell what was ailing Merlin… Well… That wasn’t entirely true. Merlin knew Gaius well enough to know when he had an idea, which only set Merlin on edge that he wasn’t sharing.

“You seem uneasy,” Arthur commented as he sat down next to Merlin, wrapping an arm around his shoulders fondly.

Merlin lowered his gaze and chuckled nervously

“He said he doesn’t know what’s wrong, but I can see in his eyes he has an idea,” He explained “I’m worried because… Well… Normally if he had even an inkling of what the problem is, he’d tell me.”

Arthur frowned in concern and pursed his lips together, tightening his hold on Merlin. He didn’t respond, but he didn’t really need to. Of course he could always assure Merlin that there was nothing wrong, but the evidence suggested otherwise, and Merlin was in no mood for comforting lies. They both perked up when Gaius returned with a heavy, old book; already flipping through the pages.

His brow was knitted and he looked deeply concerned

“Merlin,” He started, not looking up from his book “You mentioned that about six weeks ago while hunting with the Prince that you’d been injured, and that a passing Druid had been kind enough to heal you.”

Merlin nodded

“Mhmm, that’s right, her name was Siani,” He confirmed.

Gaius finally looked up from his book after, seemingly, finding the page he was looking for

“Is that all she did?” He asked firmly.

Merlin blinked in confusion

“I… I think so. I’m not really sure,” He admitted “I was more than a little out of it at the time. She did mention something about a blessing.”

Gaius pursed his lips together and turned his attention back to the book

“...I’ll bet she did…” He mumbled, more to himself than anything.

Merlin and Arthur gave each other confused looks, before Arthur looked back over at Gaius

“Is there something you aren’t telling us?” He huffed.

Gaius snapped the book closed and stood, heading over to make some sort of potion

“It’s far too early to tell if I’m right,” He explained “But I can tell Merlin is in no immediate danger.”

Merlin relaxed somewhat and reached up a bit to grab Arthur’s hand, blushing deeply when Arthur instinctively returned the gesture. Gaius approached with a potion and handed it to Merlin

“This will help with your nausea. Do let me know if this happens again.”

Merlin nodded and took the bottle

“Thank you, I will,” He assured as he stood.

Arthur smiled

“Thank you.”

With that, he and Merlin headed out.

As soon as they entered Arthur’s chambers, Merlin paused to down the potion, the smell of Arthur’s uneaten breakfast was more than enough to bring the nausea back with a vengeance. Arthur immediately wrapped an arm around Merlin’s waist to stabilize him when he wobbled

“Easy,” He soothed playfully “Sit with me while I eat, give that potion a minute to kick in.”

Merlin didn’t argue, just let Arthur drag him around like a ragdoll and sit him in a chair. He crossed his arms on top of the table and buried his head in them. He hadn’t eaten anything yet today, and he could feel the twinge of hunger beneath the nausea. Well that was gonna hit him like the kick of a horse once the potion took effect.

He’d never been more correct. It didn’t take long for the potion to kick in, and when it did it felt like there was a bottomless pit in Merlin’s stomach, and he groaned softly. Sure, he wanted to eat, but he was afraid that eating would make him nauseous again. A hand patted his shoulder and Merlin lifted his head to find Arthur holding out an apple for him

“I figure you’re hungry,” He commented.

Merlin bit his lip and blushed before sitting up straight and taking the apple

“How could you tell?” He mumbled before taking a bite.

Arthur continued with his breakfast

“Well, because you haven’t eaten yet today,” He explained flippantly “And because I can hear your stomach.”

Merlin’s blush deepened and he narrowed his eyes

“We can’t _all_ get waited on hand and foot,” He huffed.

Arthur just chuckled under his breath before grabbing Merlin’s free hand, holding it on top of the table. Merlin’s glare immediately fell and he bit his lip, smiling nervously.

It was a little embarrassing how quickly Merlin wolfed down the apple, but Arthur didn’t comment, which he was grateful for. He cocked an eyebrow when Arthur handed him a chunk of bread

“Worried I’ll get too skinny?” He teased, but gladly took what was offered.

Arthur shrugged

“Maybe I just don’t want to hear you complaining all day,” He drawled playfully.

Merlin smiled as he ate the bread and squeezed Arthur’s hand. Is this what being married felt like?

That thought halted Merlin in his tracks and he choked on the bread. Arthur winced a bit

“I don’t think you’re supposed to breathe it,” He worried with a small chuckle “Are you alright?”

He released Merlin’s hand to lean over and rub his back. Merlin took deep breaths and refused to look at Arthur. He hadn’t really just compared them to a married couple, had he?

“S-Sorry, I had a stupid thought…” He explained breathlessly.

Arthur just smirked at him, continuing to rub his back

“Your head is full of those, they’ve never made you choke before,” He drawled teasingly.

Merlin giggled a bit before shoving Arthur playfully

“Prat,” He huffed.

The glee in Arthur’s eyes made Merlin’s heart flutter, but not nearly as much as the longing kiss that followed. Merlin eagerly threw his arms around Arthur’s neck and crawled into his lap. The nausea had forced them to postpone the heated makeout session that had become routine with the days following the nights Merlin spent in Arthur’s bed. They hadn’t been intimate since that first time, but Merlin didn’t mind. He was perfectly content with the way things were now.

Arthur’s hands cupped his backside and Merlin shuddered, pressing closer and deepening the kiss. Arthur chuckled fondly as he hungrily explored Merlin’s mouth. They only did this once a week, so Arthur got all he could out of it each and every time. He reluctantly broke the kiss to let Merlin breathe, since he hadn’t yet figured out how to do that while kissing, and just stroked his hips, up his sides a bit, and down his thighs

“Ready to help me dress?” He hummed.

Merlin shook his head and dove back in for another kiss, which pulled a laugh from Arthur. Not that he didn’t immediately return the gesture, but he found Merlin’s eager attitude to be so cute. He wrapped his arms under Merlin’s butt and lifted him as he stood, causing Merlin to squawk and flail a bit before clinging to Arthur dear life, nervously looking at the floor

“Do. _Not_. Drop. Me.” He warned.

Arthur just bursted out laughing

“I’m not gonna drop you!” He managed to get out between chuckles “It’s not like you weigh that much anyway.”

Merlin huffed indignantly before raising his gaze to Arthur’s face

“You better not…”

Arthur hooded his eyes and smiled before carrying Merlin over to the bed and lowering him to it. He wondered if Merlin could feel how hard that action had made him. He ground his hips against Merlin to make sure he could, drawing a gasp from the younger boy and causing him to blush deeply. He took a deep breath to calm himself and reluctantly pulled away. Having sex with his servant in broad daylight, when anybody, but more specifically _Uther_ , could just walk right in was a recipe for disaster. And Arthur wouldn’t be the one to pay the price. But the pout Merlin shot him was almost enough to make him throw caution to the wind. _Almost_.

“Not now… Not during the day,” He panted in frustration.

Merlin lowered his gaze to Arthur’s erection, straining hard against the front of his trousers

“Shall I dump a bucket of cold water on you then, my Lord?” He cooed mischievously.

Arthur scoffed and bit his lip hard to stave off the overwhelming urge to give Merlin a swat on the behind

“Just… Ignore it. And help me get dressed,” He grumbled before unwrapping Merlin’s legs from around his waist and standing up.

He stormed off behind the screen, cursing under his breath. Merlin sat up and covered his mouth, blushing deeply. He didn’t think he’d ever have that kind of effect on anyone, let alone the Prince of Camelot. He hopped to his feet and quickly gathered up Arthur’s clothes for the day before following him behind the screen.

Arthur was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, sulking. Merlin giggled to himself and set the clothes aside before approaching and kneeling in front of Arthur, who cocked an eyebrow at him in confusion. Merlin just batted his eyes before leaning forward and nuzzling that perfect cock through Arthur’s trousers, which caused him to flinch and stumble, letting out a startled hiss.

“What are you doing!?” He scolded softly “ _Anyone_ could walk in!”

Merlin rolled his eyes and shook his head

“And we’re behind the screen, my _Lord_ ,” He reminded “No one will see us, and I will _hear_ anyone if they come in. I’m your servant, it’s not like it would be weird I’m back here with you.”

Arthur blinked for a moment as he processed before slowly relaxing

“Oh… Right,” He mumbled sheepishly “Sometimes you’re… More clever than I give you credit for.”

Merlin just grinned before shifting closer and mouthing at the head of Arthur’s manhood through his trousers. Arthur tangled a hand in Merlin’s hair and humped against his face a bit. Merlin swallowed thickly and blushed, that turned him on way more than he’d like to admit. He reached up and tugged Arthur’s trousers down, wincing when his cock sprung free and smack Merlin in the nose. Arthur covered his mouth and chuckled softly

“Sorry, but that was adorable,” He teased fondly.

Merlin just glared weakly at him before wrapping a hand around the shaft. He rose up more on his knees and wrapped his lips around the head, tongue darting out to lap at the slit. Arthur buckled and tightened his grip on Merlin’s hair, hips jerking forward slightly. Merlin squeezed his thighs together and whimpered softly, suckling and licking the head.

Arthur rested his head back against the wall and cursed to himself. It seemed like he was actively trying _not_ to thrust, which Merlin greatly appreciated. He continued to eagerly worship the head while firmly jerking his hand along the shaft. He wasn’t exactly in the mood to gag, so he hoped this would be enough to satisfy Arthur. He closed his eyes and focused solely on what he was doing, dipping his tongue into the slit while he squeezed the base.

“Damn… Merlin,” Arthur breathed, running his hands through Merlin’s hair “Y-You’re such a tease.”

Merlin smirked and took a bit more into his mouth, pressing the foreskin back with his lips so he could lather his tongue over the sensitive head. Arthur bit his lip to keep quiet and tugged on Merlin’s hair, gently humping into his mouth

“T-Tap my thigh if I hurt you,” He stammered.

Merlin hooded his gaze and blushed deeply. It was a little thing, but it meant so much that Arthur cared at all about his well-being right now. Although, it was a bit cute that Arthur was worried about hurting Merlin, seeing as he wasn’t thrusting hard. Like, at all. Merlin just gently rubbed his thigh with his free hand to soothe him. Arthur opened an eye and peeked down at him, smirking slightly before moaning when Merlin teased his tongue along the crown.

“Mmm… I’m close,” He warned.

Merlin shuddered excitedly and doubled his efforts, suckling on the head and lapping eagerly at the slit, jerking faster. Arthur’s knees buckled a bit and he shot a hand up to stable himself against the wall as he came with a startled cry. Merlin moaned softly, more than happy to swallow down what he was given.

Arthur panted heavily as he came down from his high, legs trembling a bit from supporting his weight. Merlin pulled off and tucked him back in his trousers before standing up

“Happy?” He chirped.

Arthur hummed and nodded sluggishly. Merlin giggled and helped Arthur stand up a bit straighter

“Come on, I have to actually dress you now,” He teased.

Arthur groaned, stumbling a bit as Merlin pushed him around. His brain was too coated in post-orgasm fog to care all that much.

“Did you swallow it?” He wondered.

Merlin cocked an eyebrow and grinned

“Sure did,” He chirped.

Arthur averted his gaze and blushed deeply

“W-Why?” He sputtered.

Merlin shrugged

“Didn't want to have to clean it up,” He explained as he helped Arthur put a shirt on “Besides, I figured you’d want me to.”

Arthur cleared his throat, still deeply flushed

“I guess… I just didn’t expect you to… _Actually_ -” He cut himself off and ran a hand through his hair.

Merlin leaned forward and pecked him on the lips

“I like making you happy,” He assured.

Arthur smiled and averted his gaze again, almost bashfully, as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. Merlin didn’t comment, but he liked that look on Arthur. It wasn’t often he was the one getting all nervous like that, and Merlin found it cute.

Once he’d finished dressing Arthur, they came out from behind the screen. Merlin moved to go make the bed, but was halted by Arthur’s arms wrapping around his waist

“Want me to get you off?” He offered.

Merlin stiffened and flushed, glancing over his shoulder at Arthur only to have his nose kissed. Which just made him blush more and completely forget what he was going to say. Arthur nuzzled him fondly before slowly pulling away

“Well?” He purred.

Merlin swallowed thickly and sluggishly shook his head

“N-No, that’s alright,” He assured “I-I’m not hard…”

Arthur turned Merlin around and pulled him into a hug, burying his face in the crook of his neck

“Okay,” He mumbled contently, voice muffled.

Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur and patted his back. He wasn’t normally so affectionate

“Are you alright?” He chuckled.

Arthur nodded and sighed fondly

“Afterglow,” He explained.

Merlin nodded in understanding. That made sense. It was adorable… Merlin would have to get Arthur off like that more often, if not just to get him in a cuddly mood afterwards.

“Well, you’re going to have to let me go if you want me to make the bed,” He reminded.

Arthur groaned softly and reluctantly let Merlin go, pouting a bit. Merlin cupped his face and kissed him silly before pulling away and heading over to make the bed. Arthur stumbled trying to follow the kiss, a dopey, love-sick grin on his lips. Merlin forced himself not to giggle, that look on Arthur’s face was normally reserved for Gwen, and it was making Merlin feel ridiculously fuzzy inside.

When no footsteps sounded, Merlin glanced up, blushing deeply when he saw Arthur leaning against the bedpost, just watching Merlin work. No, not watching, _admiring_ Merlin as he worked. He quickly seemed to realize what he was doing, though, and righted himself. He cleared his throat and blushed deeply before retreating to his desk.

Merlin lowered his gaze, a giddy smile slipping, and he got right back to work. Arthur may have been sitting at his desk, but Merlin could still feel his eyes on him. Not that he was complaining. Merlin would likely never admit it out loud, but being the object of Arthur’s affections made him feel warm in the best way. He just hoped the nausea wouldn’t come back again tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you couldn't tell, yes, Gaius knows what's wrong with Merlin. But he figures this isn't something you inform a guy of without being 100% sure, so he's not saying anything for the moment.


	4. The Blessing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin learns the cause of his nausea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 4. It's a shorter one again, but still over 1000 words, so I'm content.
> 
> I had to google medieval pregnancy tests for this chapter. Now that'll be in my google search history forever.

But it was. Merlin was woken up the next morning by horrible nausea, and this time he couldn’t stop himself from throwing up. He wobbled a bit before groaning to himself and getting out of bed, luckily not much came up. He’d still have to clean it though. He stumbled out of his room in search of a cloth, only to find Gaius at the bottom of the stairs with a potion ready. Merlin blinked slowly in confusion

“H-How did you-”

“I’m sure you can tell, I already had an idea of what was ailing you,” Gaius cut in, holding the potion out for Merlin to take “But I wanted to be certain before jumping to any conclusions.”

Merlin eagerly took the potion and downed it

“What is it, what’s wrong with me?” He whimpered.

Gaius pursed his lips together and crossed his hands behind his back

“Well… I’ll need to test something to be certain, and for that I will need some urine,” He explained.

Merlin put a hand on the table to brace himself. He still felt a bit queasy.

“Of course, whatever you need.”

Merlin sat at the table, after cleaning up the vomit in his room and getting Gaius that sample, watching with a crinkled nose as Gaius mixed his urine with wine. He didn’t question it, he didn’t really want to know. So long as it gave them the answer, he didn’t care what Gaius did with his bodily fluids. He perked up a bit when Gaius sighed heavily at his findings.

“Am I dying?” He worried.

Gaius looked over at Merlin and shook his head

“No,” He assured.

Merlin sighed in relief before tilting his head in confusion

“Then what’s the nausea?” He asked.

Gaius pursed his lips together again

“It’s morning sickness,” He stated bluntly.

Merlin’s brain stopped for a moment and his jaw dropped. It took a solid minute for him to come back online

“I-I’m sorry, what?” He gaped “Morning sickness!? How can I have morning sickness!?”

Gaius straightened and approached. Merlin wobbled a bit

“Morning sickness is what women get when they’re-” He paused, voice catching in his throat “When they’re pregnant!”

Gaius winced at the way Merlin’s voice cracked spectacularly on ‘pregnant’. He sat down next to his and rubbed his back

“The blessing the Druid gave you,” He explained calmly “It was an ancient fertility blessing. Very powerful magic, said to be able to allow men to-”

“-Become pregnant!?” Merlin shrieked, cutting Gaius off.

This was so _not_ happening! It had to be a dream! Merlin couldn’t be pregnant, it was insane! This was all too much, it was making Merlin dizzy.

“Breathe!” Gaius’ voice snapped him out of his spiral and he took a deep breath, reaching out and clutching Gaius’ sleeves.

Tears were streaming down his face and he took in deep, trembling breaths, Gaius having to guide him through it. How was he going to tell Arthur? Should he tell Arthur? Well, he’d have to eventually, he was bound to notice!

“G-Gaius,” Merlin barely managed to stammer out “I’m going to faint.”

And he did.

When he came to, he was in bed, with Gaius standing next to his bed on one side, and Arthur sitting next to him on the other, tightly holding his hand, looking _very_ worried

“When you didn’t show up this morning, I came looking for you,” He explained “You were passed out on the floor out there… Gaius couldn’t carry you, so I did.”

Merlin blinked slowly, not really processing what Arthur was saying. All he could think was _I’m having his baby_. He swallowed thickly, tears welling up in his eyes. What was he supposed to say? Should he be blunt? Should he just hide it as long as he possibly could? He liked that idea…

“I’m fine,” He croaked, slowly sitting up.

Arthur frowned

“Are you sure?” He worried.

Merlin glanced up at Gaius and flinched at the look on his face… Seems _someone_ wasn’t going to let him lie…

“Honestly… I’m still in shock,” He admitted carefully “Could we talk about it later?”

Arthur sighed in frustration

“Merlin, if you’re sick, I need to know,” He pushed.

Merlin lowered his gaze

“Well… I’m not _sick_ ,” He muttered.

Arthur squeezed his hand

“Promise?”

Merlin looked up at him and nodded

“I promise…”

Arthur let out a soft sigh of relief and smiled before leaning over and kissing Merlin on the cheek

“Good… I was so worried…” He breathed.

Merlin lowered his gaze and sniffled. He couldn’t bring himself to assure Arthur that there was nothing to worry about. He got out of bed and stumbled a little, Arthur immediately hopping to his feet to catch him

“Maybe you should take today off,” He suggested.

Merlin shot him a disbelieving look

“I’m fine,” He huffed.

Arthur just cocked an eyebrow at him

“Yeah, you keep _saying_ that, but you can barely walk, and you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” He drawled “How come the only time you want a day off is when I’m _not_ offering?”

Merlin lowered his gaze. Yeah, some time off would probably do him good, but he didn’t want to have any free time to think about his… _Condition_.

“I just… Want to get back to work,” He muttered, “If that’s alright with you, my _Lord_?”

Arthur flinched and widened his eyes at the biting tone in Merlin’s voice. For the briefest moment, Merlin could see hurt there, and he felt bad. Arthur was only trying to help, and it wasn’t really _his_ fault Merlin was in this situation… Then again… If they’d never gone on that pointless hunt, Merlin never would have gotten injured, and that Druid wouldn’t have had the chance to _bless_ him. Not that he saw _this_ as much of a blessing… 

What was he thinking? Merlin shook his head a bit to rid himself of those thoughts. No one was to blame for this but Siani. He would _not_ take his frustrations out on Arthur.

“Sorry,” He sighed softly “I… I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

Arthur just shrugged

“It’s fine,” He assured “It’s not the worst you’ve treated me.”

Merlin let a little smirk slip and he chuckled under his breath

“I don’t treat you worse than you deserve,” He teased.

Arthur grinned and threw an arm around Merlin’s shoulders, dragging him off. Merlin squawked softly before waving back at Gaius

“I’ll see you later!” He called as Arthur dragged him out of the room.

After getting help to dress properly, Arthur headed down, with Merlin in tow, to meet Uther and Morgana for breakfast. Merlin still seemed off, but Arthur chose not to push it, what with the mood he seemed to be in. Although he would never, in a million years, admit it out loud, Merlin’s opinion of him did actually matter a great deal to Arthur, so it was a lot more hurtful than he let on when Merlin was needlessly nasty. He could handle it when it was warranted, but not when he hadn’t done anything wrong. He still felt a bit put off over Merlin snapping at him for being concerned.

Arthur gently tapped a nail against the top of the table as he watched Merlin pour water into Uther’s cup. He seemed so distant, like there was something on his mind. He was certainly distracted, but he managed not to spill anything, so Arthur let him be. Merlin took his place behind his Prince and lowered his gaze. Arthur glanced over his shoulder and pursed his lips together. Uther and Morgana were chatting idly about something he couldn’t bring himself to listen to. Not when there was so clearly something wrong with Merlin.

Arthur glanced down at his barely touched food and sighed softly. He had _no_ appetite… 

“Not hungry, Arthur?” Morgana cooed before taking a sip from her cup.

Arthur weakly narrowed his eyes at her and put his fork down

“Honestly? Not really,” He admitted begrudgingly before looking at Uther “May I be excused?”

Uther just waved a hand flippantly. Arthur took a breath and stood, beckoning for Merlin to follow him. They needed to talk, and there was no way Arthur was going to let Merlin weasel out of it.

Once up in his chambers, he closed and locked the door as soon as Merlin had stepped inside then pinned him to it. Merlin yelped and blushed deeply, sinking back against the door as much as he could. Arthur looked him over for a moment

“Alright, what’s going on?” He asked firmly “You said we’d talk about it later. It’s now later.”

Merlin kept his gaze to the floor and hummed nervously

“It’s… It’s not that big of a deal,” He mumbled.

Arthur crossed his arms and gave Merlin a look that made him wince and slide down a bit in an attempt to get farther away. He cocked an eyebrow and impatiently tapped a finger against his arm. Merlin took a breath

“It’s… I… I’m…-” He cut himself off and bit his lip.

Arthur leaned forward a bit and cupped Merlin’s face, making him look up

“You can tell me,” He assured “I’m only worried about you.”

Merlin’s eyes widened and he blushed deeply again before biting his lip

“I… I have a parasite,” He suddenly blurted out.

Arthur flinched away before his eyes widened

“A parasite!?” He gaped “You said it wasn’t a big deal! That _sounds_ like a big deal!”

Merlin shook his head quickly

“It’s not!” He assured “G-Gaius gave me a potion for it… I-I’ll be fine.”

Arthur put his hand to Merlin’s stomach in concern, causing Merlin to visibly stiffen

“Where did you pick up a _parasite_?” He huffed.

Merlin swallowed thickly and put a trembling hand over Arthur’s on his stomach, tears welling up in his eyes. Arthur frowned at that in confusion, raising his free hand to cup Merlin’s cheek again, swiping away the tears with his thumb. Merlin turned his head a bit into that hand and nuzzled it, sniffling softly. Arthur didn’t understand, Merlin kept saying he was fine, and it wasn’t a big deal, but that wasn’t what his actions were saying. It was clear whatever was wrong, _truly_ wrong; Arthur was almost positive Merlin wasn’t being completely honest with him, was affecting Merlin _far_ more than he was admitting.

“Merlin _please_ ,” He urged “Tell me the truth. _Talk_ to me.”

Merlin hiccuped softly and more tears escaped his eyes. He threw his arms around Arthur’s neck and buried his face in his shoulder. Arthur sighed in defeat and wrapped his arms around Merlin’s waist, giving him a firm squeeze

“It’s alright,” He soothed “...Whenever you’re ready…”

He didn’t like backing down like this, but what choice did he have? It was clear pressing the matter was only going to make it worse, so for now anyway, Arthur would buy Merlin’s parasite story. At least until he felt more comfortable telling Arthur the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically, Merlin didn't _lie_ when he said he had a parasite. Boiled down to it's barest definition, that's exactly what a fetus is until it's born ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Yeah, you get a baby at the end instead of the death a tapeworm might give you, but until then it's still just a tiny organism feeding off your nutrients, giving very little more than nausea, cramps, and mood swings in return lol


	5. Distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin tells Arthur about the pregnancy, and Arthur, in turn, tells Gwen, leading the three to a grim realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a love/hate relationship with doing old-timey medical research,

Arthur didn’t bring it up much again beyond asking Merlin if he was feeling okay for the next few days. At first, Merlin figured he’d be appreciative of it, but he wasn’t. Hiding something like this did nothing but fill him with crippling anxiety, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell Arthur the truth. He was terrified of how Arthur would react. He was a Prince and Merlin was a servant with whom he was having a bastard child. That wasn’t even taking into consideration that Merlin was a man and the child was going to be born out of magic.

Arthur was at his desk now, looking over some maps and documents. Merlin had finished his chores, and was now just standing at Arthur’s side, staring blankly ahead at nothing.

“Are you finished with everything you needed to get done?” Arthur suddenly asked after tossing the papers aside.

Merlin perked up a bit

“Oh… Yes, my Lord,” He mumbled “Did you want me to go?”

Arthur shook his head

“No, I was thinking we could get out. Go for a ride,” He explained “You look like you could use some fresh air.”

Merlin lowered his gaze and shrugged

“If that’s what you want, I’ll ready the horses,” He agreed softly before moving to head out and do just that, but Arthur quickly stopped him.

“It’s not about  _ me _ ,” He informed.

Merlin blinked in confusion for a moment

“But  _ you’re  _ the Prince, not me,” He muttered “I’m just your servant…”

Arthur pursed his lips together before sighing heavily

“You aren’t  _ just  _ anything…” He whispered, seemingly more to himself than anyone else.

Merlin bit his lip and blushed.

It fell silent, and Merlin felt like he was drowning. He should just tell him, and get it over with… He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He cursed himself under his breath and shook his head

“Shall I ready the horses, sire?” He sighed in frustration.

Arthur didn’t look at him, just nodded in silence. Merlin turned and left.

It had been so long since things had been so awkward between them. It felt like when Merlin had first been appointed as Arthur’s manservant. They rode through the forest in silence, Merlin wondered if Arthur had a destination in mind, or if they really were just going for a ride. He should probably ask.

“Are we heading anywhere in particular?”

Arthur flinched, like he hadn’t been expecting Merlin to actually speak to him, which made Merlin feel  _ immensely  _ horrible.

“Maybe…”

Merlin tilted his head before huffing when Arthur offered no further information. Fine, a surprise it was…

They’d been riding for about an hour when Merlin started to recognize the area a bit and he blushed deeply. They were heading for the cave where he and Arthur had taken refuge after Merlin got injured on their hunt, where Siani had healed and blessed him… Where he and Arthur had first made love… He didn’t know if he could handle seeing the cave again.

“My Lord… Where are we going?” He asked urgently.

Arthur didn’t respond, just continued forward. Merlin urged his horse faster forward so he could be at Arthur’s side

“Arthur!” He huffed.

Still nothing. Merlin scoffed under his breath and just glared at him. He tensed when they came up on the cave and Arthur slowed his horse to a halt before dismounting. He reluctantly followed suit. Arthur entered the cave, not saying anything to Merlin, and sat down against a wall. Merlin slowly followed after him, but didn’t sit

“Why are we here?” He mumbled.

Arthur glanced up at Merlin

“I don’t know… Maybe I was hoping I’d run into that Druid,” He sighed “Siani, right?”

Merlin reluctantly sat down next to Arthur, loosely hugging his legs to his chest

“Yes… Her name was Siani, but I doubt you’ll find her here,” He mumbled.

Arthur looked over at him before leaning close and kissing him deeply. Merlin squeaked in distress and quickly jerked away, scrambling back. Arthur stumbled forward a bit and just blinked in confusion

“I’m sorry,” He said before Merlin could speak “I thought-”

He cut himself off and averted his gaze, looking almost heartbroken. Merlin winced and bit his lip. He didn’t mean to be pushing Arthur away like he was. He needed to explain himself before he completely ruined whatever their relationship was… Well… He supposed it was destined for ruin either way…

“It’s not you,” He assured “I’m just… I’m going through a lot right now…”

Arthur nodded in understanding, but it didn’t help the hurt in his eyes. Merlin shifted close to him again and leaned his head against Arthur’s shoulder

“I’m sorry…” He mumbled.

Arthur just shrugged a bit but otherwise kept quiet, gaze fixed on his hands where they were folded in his lap.

“Merlin…” He started after a long moment “...Did I do something wrong?”

Merlin’s eyes widened and he bit his lip. He hadn’t considered at all how much his situation was affecting Arthur. He hadn’t realized that his actions could be interpreted like he was upset with him. He wrapped his arms around Arthur’s waist and leaned close to nuzzle his cheek

“No. It’s…-” He cut himself off before he could finish.

He’d wanted to say ‘It’s nothing you did’, but that wasn’t  _ completely  _ true… He took a deep breath and pulled away from Arthur to bury his face in his hands. He should just say it… Merlin lifted his head and looked over at Arthur, who was giving him a wounded look

“I need to get drunk…” He chuckled half-heartedly “It would be so much easier to say this if I were drunk.”

Arthur took one of Merlin’s hands and gave it a squeeze

“Just tell me,” He urged “I won’t think any differently of you.”

That almost made Merlin laugh.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Arthur sighed and lifted Merlin’s hand to his mouth, planting a kiss on the back of it

“I’ll keep it,” He assured “No matter what.”

Merlin let out a shaky breath before swallowing thickly.

“I… I wasn’t completely honest with you… About my ‘ _ illness _ ’,” He admitted nervously.

Arthur nodded

“I figured as much,” He teased.

Merlin let a weak smile slip

“The truth… Well… The truth is even  _ less _ believable, and I… I’m  _ terrified  _ of how you’ll react,” He continued.

Arthur nodded eagerly, urging Merlin along, shifting closer to him a bit. It made Merlin blush, but he also felt like he was gonna throw up from the pit of anxiety his gut had become.

“I… I’m… Pregnant…” He forced out, eyes squeezed shut “The blessing Siani bestowed on me… This is what it does…”

Arthur’s eyes widened and he just stared at Merlin before slowly pulling away and slumping back against the wall of the cave. Merlin bit his lip and forced himself not to start sobbing. It was perfectly reasonable that Arthur would need a moment to process, the silence didn’t necessarily mean that he was angry or upset.

They sat there in silence for about an hour, with Merlin  _ drowning  _ in anxiety, before Arthur finally spoke

“Is it mine?”

Merlin perked up and looked over at Arthur, who’s expression was unreadable

“Yes… Of course it is,” He responded softly.

Arthur nodded slowly and took a deep breath

“So… I’m going to be a father?”

Merlin lowered his gaze

“If you want…”

Arthur finally turned and looked at Merlin

“You think I would just abandon the two of you?” He huffed, clearly offended by the implication.

Merlin’s eyes widened and he blushed deeply

“No! I just mean… I don’t want you to feel obligated,” He explained “I know how this could complicate your life, and I don’t want you to feel as though you  _ have  _ to stay.”

Arthur immediately pulled Merlin into a kiss, resting a hand on his tummy. He slowly broke the kiss and pressed their foreheads together

“It’s my child… I couldn’t just carry on pretending it doesn’t exist,” He breathed.

Merlin looked down at Arthur’s hand on his stomach and blushed, tears welling up in his eyes

“So… You aren’t upset?” He worried.

Arthur nuzzled Merlin’s cheek

“I’m not… As happy as I should be…” He admitted “You’re right, this will… Complicate things… But no, I’m not upset.”

Merlin let out a little sigh of relief and immediately clung to Arthur. He could accept that answer. Arthur eagerly returned the hug, giving Merlin a tight squeeze before quickly loosening his grip in concern

“Sorry!” He worried.

Merlin just giggled and pulled back a bit

“I’m okay,” He soothed, kissing the tip of Arthur’s nose “ _ We’re  _ okay.”

Now that he knew Arthur wasn’t upset, and he would be  _ there _ , Merlin felt a hundred pounds lighter, and like he could finally just be…  _ Happy _ . He was having a baby! With  _ Arthur Pendragon _ ! There was still one problem though

“What am I going to tell Uther?” He asked “It’s not like I can hide it forever. I will begin to…  _ Show _ … Eventually.”

Arthur pulled away and winced, groaning softly under his breath

“Uhg… You’re right,” He grumbled “That’s even  _ more  _ complicated… If he finds out I have a  _ bastard _ …-”

He cut himself off and covered his mouth. Merlin averted his gaze

“It’s alright, Arthur,” He assured “That’s what it is.”

Arthur lowered his hand and gave Merlin an apologetic look

“Well it isn’t like we exactly planned this!” He huffed “I wasn’t expecting  _ you  _ to get pregnant. I would’ve married you first, if  _ that  _ were the case.”

Merlin’s brain went blank at that and he blushed deep up to his ears. There was no way Arthur could  _ mean  _ that… Right?

“G-Gwen…?” Was all he managed to squeak out.

Arthur winced at that and rubbed the back of his neck

“...Right,” He muttered “Uh… I’ll talk to her…”

Merlin gave him a disbelieving look; honestly, where had Arthur’s head  _ been _ that morning? Then again… Merlin hadn’t really been thinking about those sorts of things at the time either… He’d have to apologize to Gwen. Arthur glanced over at Merlin and huffed

“What?” He grumbled.

Merlin just fondly shook his head

“Nothing,” He chirped.

It fell silent again, but it was significantly more bearable this time. Merlin leaned against Arthur’s shoulder and hummed contently. They’d been away from the castle for some time now

“Maybe we should start heading back?” He suggested.

Arthur sighed under his breath before nodding and standing up, holding a hand out for Merlin, who blushed deeply and accepted the gesture.

There was actual chatting on the way back to the city, which Merlin was thrilled about. He didn’t like things being tense between them.

“You never did share a plan about what I’m supposed to do when Uther notices I’m with child,” He reminded.

Arthur glanced over at Merlin

“Yeah… That’s because I don’t have one,” He admitted with a huff “I’ll think of something. It’s not overly urgent anyway…”

Merlin hummed in thought. He supposed Arthur was right about that, they had a few months before Merlin would be showing, and even more still before he wouldn’t be able to hide it with his baggy clothes. He’d just have to start foregoing the belt.

“Well, I’m sure we’ll come up with something,” He assured.

Arthur smiled and reached out to take Merlin’s hand, holding it loosely as they rode. Merlin bit his lip to keep himself from giggling. He squeezed Arthur’s hand a bit and hummed fondly to himself. He felt like he was floating. Arthur knew about the pregnancy, and wasn’t just okay with it, he was happy. Well, as happy as he could be given the obvious complications this would bring to his life, but that was still far more than Merlin had been expecting. Maybe now Gaius would stop given him the side-eye.

“Oh, Arthur,” He started suddenly “Would you mind if I accompanied you to speak with Gwen about this… I have to apologize to her…”

Arthur cocked an eyebrow and smirked

“What do  _ you  _ have to apologize for?” He drawled “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Merlin shook his head

“She’s my friend… And I knew about you two, obviously…” He explained “I shouldn’t… It was wrong of me to-”

He cut himself off and blushed deeply. Arthur pursed his lips together and tightened his grip, both on the reins and Merlin’s hand

“If you want to accompany me, I won’t say no,” He muttered.

Merlin led his horse a bit closer to Arthur’s and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. Arthur leaned into the gesture, almost instinctively, which warmed Merlin’s heart in a way he couldn’t even hope to articulate.

Once back in the castle, Merlin stuck close behind Arthur as they made their way through the halls, in search of Guinevere. They came upon her as she was leaving Morgana’s chambers.

“Gwen!” Arthur called before she escaped down the hallway, startling her and causing her to drop her basket of laundry.

Merlin quickly slid to his knees in front of her to help her gather it back up.

“Thank you,” She chirped sheepishly.

Arthur approached and held out a hand for her once she and Merlin had gathered the laundry. She gratefully took the gesture, cocking an amused eyebrow when Arthur, almost urgently, offered the same to Merlin. Gwen propped the basket up on her hip a bit

“What can I do for you, Sire?” She asked.

Arthur took a deep breath and looked around

“It… It’s sort of… Personal,” He explained carefully “Could you come to my chambers when you have the time?”

Gwen’s eyes widened and she blushed a bit before nodding curtly

“Of course, my Lord,” She agreed before heading off, giggling to herself.

Arthur blinked in confusion a bit before wincing when he realized the wording had certain… Implications. Merlin just fondly shook his head. Sure, Arthur’s skull was empty most of the time, but Merlin liked him that way.

They returned to Arthur’s chambers to wait for Gwen. Merlin was tidying up a bit, getting more and more flustered by the second as Arthur’s gaze bore into him. He glanced over his shoulder at his Prince, who just smiled at him and made no effort to avert his gaze.

“You’re okay to keep working, right?” Arthur worried.

Merlin blinked in surprise for a moment

“O-Of course, my Lord,” He assured with a soft chuckle “But you should ask me again at nine months.”

Arthur hooded his eyes and just smiled lovingly at Merlin

“Expect to hear it at least once a week,” He purred.

Merlin bit his lip and turned his attention back to his task

“It’s Gwen you should be looking at like that…” He reminded softly.

There was some movement before Arthur cleared his throat

“Right…”

A knock at the door sounded and Merlin made his way over to answer it, smiling when he saw it was Gwen. He opened the door wider and stepped out of the way to let her in. She gave him a fond little smirk as she walked passed him before making her way over to Arthur, curtsying once she was before him

“I’m here,” She hummed “What did you want to talk about?”

Arthur stood and came out from behind his desk

“I wanted to… Confess… Something to you,” He started, getting straight to the point.

Gwen frowned a bit in confusion, looking over her shoulder a bit as Merlin approached as well

“Confess? What do you mean, what’s going on?” She worried.

Arthur took a deep breath and took Gwen’s hand

“I want to start by saying how  _ deeply  _ sorry I am… I don’t know what I was thinking…” He apologized carefully, squeezing her hand, eyes darting over to Merlin briefly “Six weeks ago… While Merlin and I were on a hunt… He got injured, and we had to take shelter in a cave for the night…-”

He cut himself off and lowered his gaze. Gwen just continued to stare at him, expression urging him on. He took another deep breath

“-I left the cave in the night to get more water and… While I was gone, a passing Druid healed Merlin,” He continued, glancing over at Merlin as he spoke “When I returned to the cave he was healed and I… I was relieved… I supposed?”

Gwen blinked slowly

“I don’t understand… That’s a good thing, right?” She worried.

Arthur winced and bit his lip. Merlin lowered his gaze and nervously rubbed his arm, he had a nagging suspicion Gwen wasn’t going to take this well… 

“Well yes… It’s good that Merlin was healed,” He agreed softly “But… In my relief I… We… Merlin and I… We… We made love… Guinevere…”

Merlin bit his lip and whimpered under his breath. Arthur held his breath, waiting for Gwen to speak. Her expression was unreadable, like she was just processing what he’d said to her. She finally took a deep breath

“Thank you… For your honesty,” She managed to get out “But… Why are you telling me this? It’s just… You could have so easily hidden it…”

Arthur let out the breath he was holding, relieved Gwen hadn’t pulled her hand away. She certainly wasn’t happy, that much was clear, but she was calm. At least, she  _ seemed  _ to be calm.

“I don’t want to hide anything from you,” Arthur explained “I made a mistake, a grievous one, I know, and I am  _ so  _ sorry… Besides… It… It wouldn’t be as easy as you’d think… To Hide it…”

Gwen looked over her shoulder at Merlin, who kept his gaze firmly on the floor, unable to look her in the eye.

“What does  _ that  _ mean?” She huffed.

Merlin dropped a hand to his stomach and bit his lip. Arthur squeezed Gwen’s hand to pull her attention

“The Druid bestowed a fertility blessing on Merlin while she was healing him and… Well-” He trailed off and blushed deeply.

It took Gwen a moment to process before her eyes widened in disbelief, jaw dropping a bit

“He’s-?” She couldn’t say it.

Arthur nodded

“Yes… Merlin is carrying my child,” He admitted.

Gwen made a small disbelieving sound and stumbled back a bit from the shock. Arthur and Merlin quickly jumped to steady her

“I’m so sorry, Gwen,” Merlin whimpered “I knew about your feelings for Arthur but I-... I don’t know what came over me…”

Gwen grabbed on to his sleeve to steady herself a bit

“Th-The blessing? Would be my guess,” She stammered, still a bit dazed.

Arthur lowered his gaze. As much as he wanted to blame it  _ all  _ on the magic, he couldn’t. Sure, maybe the blessing had been the cause of the strange pull he’d felt towards Merlin in the cave, but it wasn’t like his hand had been forced. And it definitely wouldn’t explain away the feelings he was  _ still  _ having for Merlin.

“...Maybe,” He muttered, deciding to leave his confusing feelings for another day.

Merlin helped Gwen sit down on the edge of the bed, peeking up at Arthur a bit. He’d expected the Prince to  _ jump  _ on the chance to blame this all on a spell, but he hadn’t. It made Merlin wonder if there was a reason Arthur wasn’t sold on that explanation, like maybe he  _ knew  _ it wasn’t the case somehow. He was startled from his thoughts with a yelp by a gently, dainty hand touching his stomach. Gwen was staring at where she was touching intensely

“Will this make you a ‘mother’ or a ‘father’?” She wondered softly.

Merlin blushed and averted his gaze

“Well, I’m a man, I’m pretty sure that makes me a father, regardless of where the baby comes from,” He chuckled sheepishly.

Gwen nodded slowly before finally raising her gaze to his

“Can I… I mean… I’d like to help you… In any way that I can. You’re so slim, and you’re a boy. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard this will be on your body,” She said carefully “You’re hips are too small…”

Merlin stiffened and paled a bit. He hadn’t really considered that… And on that topic

“H-How… How am I going to have it…?” He mumbled, more to himself than anything.

Silence fell over the room as Merlin nervously picked at the skin on his knuckles. The atmosphere in the room fell grim as it slowly became clear to them all that Merlin would likely not survive having this child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So caesarians have been preformed since at least 100 BC, but typically the mother died, either of sepsis or hemorrhaging. So given that Merlin's _only_ option is a caesarian, as far as they know, his future's not looking bright, as of right now.


	6. Solution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a sleepy, half-baked decision hurts Merlin more than intended, Arthur realizes his feelings for Merlin run much deeper than he thought, and comes up with a way they can _all_ be happy. Hopefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone left a comment last time concerned that a caesarean being an option was unrealistic due to the time period, so this is just a reminder that the c-section surgery has been around since at least 100 BC. It just typically killed the mother. But it's been around for a while.
> 
> Regardless, it probably won't wind up mattering all that much ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Merlin couldn’t bring himself to drag his body out of bed the next morning. After the discovery that he would likely not survive bringing his child into the world, Merlin felt numb. He’d gone through the rest of the day in a fog, had gone to bed without dinner, and spent the majority of the night just staring at the wall. By the time he realized he should probably get some sleep, the sun was coming up. He glanced up at the window and glared at the light coming through.

He didn’t want to get up. What would the point be? He was gonna be dead in eight months anyway… Maybe that’s just the price one paid for having a baby through magic with a Pendragon… Well, at least he’d have something in common with Ygraine. He smirked a little at his own morbid joke, quickly deciding against ever sharing it with anyone, lest it make its way back to Arthur. Or worse, Uther.

The door opened and Gaius entered

“Merlin, you’re going to be late,” He informed.

Merlin sighed softly and sat up. He was sure he looked awful, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He sluggishly dragged himself out of bed and got dressed before lumbering out of the room, passed Gaius, with the intent to go wake Arthur for the day. But Gaius had other plans. He grabbed Merlin’s arm to stop him and steered him towards their modest dining table and sat him down, putting a plate of breakfast down in front of him.

“It’s not just  _ you  _ you’re eating for anymore,” He reminded “And don’t think I didn’t notice that you neglected to eat dinner last night.”

Merlin winced a bit before sighing heavily and starting to eat

“I thought I was going to be late?” He drawled.

Gaius sat down across from him

“I’m sure Arthur will understand that you needed to feed his child,” He assured before giving Merlin a concerned look “Is something troubling you?”

Merlin halted mid-bite and stiffened. He figured Gaius would be the perfect person to talk to about this. He swallowed and put the spoon down

“I… I’m not going to survive having it… Am I?” He finally asked, voice hitching as he did.

He wasn’t afraid to die. He’d put his life on the line for Arthur countless times, but this time it was different. He’d seen what almost this  _ exact  _ scenario had done to Uther, and he didn’t want Arthur to have to go through that. Plus, Merlin really wanted to actually meet and raise his child. He wanted to be there for it. Just because he wasn’t afraid to die, didn’t mean he  _ wanted  _ to die…

Gaius sighed heavily and lowered his gaze

“There is… A high possibility that you won’t survive,” He admitted solemnly.

Merlin slumped a bit and pursed his lips together; any semblance of appetite he had completely gone

“That’s what I thought…”

Gaius hummed in thought

“Well… It’s a Druid blessing, perhaps you should seek out the Druid’s for help?” He suggested “They would likely know what to do. It wouldn’t be much of a ‘blessing’ if it killed you in the end, so perhaps there is more to this ritual than we know.”

Merlin blinked slowly as he processed before frowning a bit

“That’s true… Now it’s just finding them,” He sighed before shaking his head and forcing himself to perk up a bit “I’ve still got eight months before I really have to worry anyway, right?”

He finished up eating and headed out. He’d have to speak with Arthur about the possibility of needing the Druid’s help with the birth… He hoped Arthur would be okay with that.

Merlin pulled the curtains back and smirked when the sudden light in the room made Arthur groan and bury his face in the pillows

“No,” He whined.

Merlin chuckled and approached the bed

“Come on,” He urged “Time to get up.”

Arthur peeked out from under the pillow

“You seem to be feeling better,” He commented.

Merlin nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed

“I spoke to Gaius about our concerns,” He explained “Since it’s a Druid blessing, we’ll probably get more information from actual Druids.”

Arthur sat up, gaze lowered before he sighed deeply and nodded

“That’s fair,” He agreed “Do you know exactly where we’d be able to find a Druid camp?”

Merlin shifted a bit closer to Arthur and shook his head

“No, but we have eight months to find one, so I’m not too worried,” He hummed, gently tapping the top of Arthur’s hand with a finger.

Arthur looked down and a little smile slipped before he frowned and pulled his hand away. It was like a knife through Merlin’s heart and a lump formed in his throat, but he didn’t comment.

“I said I would be there for the both of you, and I will, but… I love Guinevere,” Arthur admitted softly.

Merlin bit his lip and lowered his gaze, quickly yanking his hand back

“Of course… Sorry…” He mumbled.

He didn’t know why he’d expected everything to stay the way it was even after Arthur told Gwen everything. Well… Not  _ everything _ . Arthur had conveniently left out that since they’d had sex, he and Merlin had slowly been growing closer, that they kissed often, shared a bed at least once a week, and of course he’d left out the blowjob behind the screen. The details, in other words. He’d been fool enough to let himself think there would ever be something more between him and Arthur.

He stood abruptly and made his way over to the wardrobe to get Arthur’s clothes for the day. His eyes were burning from the tears welling up in them, but he refused to let them fall. This was his own fault, for being such an idiot. Gwen was kind, loving, brilliant, and beautiful; she was worthy of the Prince of Camelot. Merlin… He was awkward, lanky, pasty, and homely at best… As if Arthur would ever have actual feelings for him…

Merlin flinched when Arthur brushed passed him as he made his way behind the screen

“I’ll be right there,” He mumbled.

Arthur yawned and stretched, nodding as he disappeared behind the screen. Merlin looked up in his direction. So was this really it? Whatever fog that had been clouding Arthur’s mind was gone now, so all that had happened with Merlin was nothing more than a magic-fueled mistake, and his heart belonged to Gwen once more? So no more sharing Arthur’s bed, no more stolen kisses, no more longing looks… No more Arthur sneaking up and holding him from behind?

Merlin sniffled and quickly wiped the tears from his eyes before laying his hand over his stomach. He was nothing more than a magical pseudo-womb carrying Arthur’s bastard. He gathered up Arthur’s clothes for the day and headed behind the screen to help his Prince dress.

He was sure he’d never fought so hard  _ not  _ to cry since Balinor had died in his arms. He crinkled his nose as more tears welled up again. Okay,  _ bad  _ thing to think about… His vision was blurry and it was making it tremendously difficult to manage the laces on Arthur’s tunic. They were all tangled and Merlin’s hands were trembling and he couldn’t see and-

“Merlin,” Arthur started, lifting a hand to cup his cheek “It’s okay…”

That did it, Merlin sobbed softly and bit his lip, squeezing his eyes shut, tears trickling down his cheeks. He  _ loved  _ Arthur, with all his heart. He had for a long time, but he could always manage it before he knew what it might feel like to be loved back… Now it just hurt. He buried his face in his hands to muffle his sobs and leaned back against the wall.

“I-I’m sorry,” He whimpered, voice muffled “I h-have no right to be upset…”

Arms gently wrapped around him and pulled him against a firm chest

“Don’t say that,” Arthur soothed “I know this is hurting you. I’m so sorry.”

He gently pet Merlin’s hair and just let him cry. There was a lump in his throat and his chest ached, he hated this. He wanted Merlin to be happy, and he certainly had feelings for him, but… He also had feelings for Gwen. He nuzzled Merlin’s hair and breathed in his scent, this was so confusing… He didn’t know what to do…

Merlin was clinging to him for dear life, and even though Arthur had somewhere he needed to be, he couldn’t bring himself to pry him off just yet. It was unfair of him to think Merlin would be able to just go about his day like nothing was wrong after having his heart crushed.

Arthur ran his hand up and down Merlin’s trembling back, trying not to let his little sobs and whimpers get to him, but they really were ruining him. He’d have to have a  _ long  _ talk with Gwen at some point… Maybe he could have them both…?

“Merlin?” He breathed carefully “I don’t mean to rush you… But I do have duties to attend to.”

As much as he wanted to just spend all day holding the most beautiful man he’d ever seen in his life, he  _ did  _ have obligations. He winced when Merlin  _ immediately  _ pulled away, quickly reaching up to roughly wipe his eyes before getting back to fighting with the laces

“Sorry…” He croaked, voice hoarse from crying.

His eyes were red and puffy, tear tracks staining his cheeks, and he was still sniffling, but he managed to get the laces to behave regardless. He quickly fastened Arthur’s belt around his waist as the last thing he had left to do, then fled from behind the screen. Arthur flinched a bit when the door opened then slammed closed. He sighed to himself and ran a hand through his hair in frustration, a part of him wondering if there was some way he could have worded it better so he hadn’t hurt Merlin so deeply… 

Arthur didn’t see much of Merlin for the rest of the day, but any and all chores Merlin typically did still managed to get done, so there wasn’t much for Arthur to complain about. Not beyond missing Merlin’s company anyway. Besides, it would be cruel of him to force Merlin to stay at his side right now, no matter how badly he wanted to.

He still wanted to speak with Gwen about the solution he’d come up with to his ‘feelings’ dilemma, but he figured it was a  _ bit  _ too soon after confessing to her that he’d been unfaithful. Then again… Was there ever  _ really  _ an appropriate time to suggest polygamy? Not that it was outright polygamy that he was suggesting… Not  _ yet  _ anyway… There were a couple of hurdles that he would have to wait to deal with until he was King, like the fact both polygamy and homosexuality were illegal under Uther’s reign. But he would change that. He wanted to marry  _ both  _ Gwen and Merlin, and if they were both content with that arrangement, he fully intended to do so once he was King.

He halted outside Morgana’s chambers, it was well into the evening now and he figured Gwen would be helping her get ready for bed. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. There was a moment before the door was pulled open to reveal Morgana

“Yes?” She huffed.

Arthur swallowed thickly

“Is… Is Guinevere with you, or did you give her the evening off?” He asked, knowing Morgana tended to do that occasionally.

Morgana leaned her head against the door

“She’s here,” She cooed, in that knowing way she did.

Arthur forced himself not to crinkle his nose. Of  _ course  _ Gwen would have mentioned something to Morgana, what with how close they were.

“So is Merlin.”

Arthur stiffened at that and he subtly tried to peek into the room. Not subtly enough though, because Morgana immediately shifted to block his view

“It would seem you’re just breaking hearts all over the place lately,” She sighed with a shake of her head.

Arthur blushed deeply and glared at her

“I am not-!” He cut himself off and took a breath “Can I please just speak with Guinevere?”

Morgana just smirked at him and shrugged

“Let me ask,” She chirped before closing the door in his face.

Arthur scoffed in disbelief. Why was she always like this? He pressed against the door and listened to their muffled voices through the would. He could hear two women talking, and some soft sniffling underneath that, which he assumed was Merlin. It broke his heart that after the entire day, Merlin was  _ still  _ crying.

“What does he want?” Gwen’s muffled voice asked.

“I don’t know, he said he wants to talk to you. He didn’t say about what,” Morgana replied.

“If you’re letting him in, I’m going to go,” Merlin suddenly cut in “I… I just can’t be around him right now…”

Arthur grit his teeth and clenched his hands into fists.

“I know,” Gwen soothed “I’m sure he didn’t mean to hurt you… I’ll go out in the hall to speak with him.”

Arthur quickly pulled away when he heard footsteps approaching the door. It opened and Gwen stepped out. She closed it behind her and turned to face Arthur

“What can I do for you, Sire?” She asked.

Arthur took a breath and smiled at her

“I know you’re probably still upset with me, you have every right to be, but I figure I can’t possibly make the situation between us any worse than it already is, so I wanted to… Propose something to you,” He explained.

Gwen folded her hands behind her back and nodded

“And what is this proposal?” She wondered.

Arthur took a deep breath and glanced over her shoulder at the door briefly before looking back down at her

“I do love you, Guinevere, more than you could possibly know,” He sighed, averting his gaze shamefully “But I can’t deny these… Feelings I have for Merlin… It’s not just the blessing, and it’s not just the baby. I think I’ve felt for him for some time now but I…-”

His voice died and he roughly ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Gwen didn’t push him, just nodded patiently for him to continue when he was ready. Arthur had mixed feelings about it, he was appreciative that Gwen was being so patient, but he didn’t think he deserved it after what he did… 

“-I… I don’t know… I never wanted to admit it, I guess…” He mumbled, tone laced with frustration before lifting his gaze to Gwen again “So I’ve been thinking and… I propose a… Well, what I  _ hope  _ is a solution… If you’ll both allow it, I would like to be with both… Of you…”

Gwen’s eyes widened and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. That clearly hadn’t been what she’d expected him to say. Arthur winced a bit at her expression

“I don’t want you to feel pressured to agree, the decision is  _ entirely  _ yours and Merlin’s, and I, of course, understand if you need time to consider it,” He quickly assured, blushing a bit “I know this sort of relationship isn’t exactly the… Norm…”

Gwen lowered her gaze in thought

“I… Presume you haven’t spoken with Merlin about this yet,” She breathed.

Arthur let out a single, mirthless chuckle

“When would I have had the time? I’ve barely seen him all day,” He muttered before sighing softly in defeat “Which is my fault… I know that…”

Gwen nodded a bit before looking up at Arthur

“You’re certainly right about one thing, this is quite far from the norm… I’ll need time to think,” She admitted “You need to talk to Merlin.”

Arthur sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at the door over Gwen’s shoulder

“I know… I handled him poorly…”

They stood there in silence for a moment before Gwen curtsied

“If that’s all-” She didn’t wait for a response before turning and going back into Morgana’s room.

Arthur put a hand to the door longingly. He wanted to see Merlin, but he knew better than to push right now. He kept his hand on the door as long as he could, even as he started walking away, letting it slide along the wood until it had no other choice but to slip off. He hoped Merlin would turn up in the morning… Though he wouldn’t bet on that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gwen is also not nearly as understanding about the whole situation as she's letting on, her anger is just quiet and she's good at keeping a level head. But she's definitely more understanding than she could be, and that is 100% because she's always seen that there was _something_ there between Arthur and Merlin, so even though she's hurt, she's not exactly all that surprised.


	7. Elusive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin continues to avoid Arthur and gets himself into a sticky situation with the King. Arthur and Guinevere have a talk about the proposal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! And so quick too lol

Merlin didn’t get a wink of sleep that night either, and the part of him that wasn’t being drowned in anxiety by Gwen’s announcement that Arthur needed to speak with him was concerned for the health of his child. Once she’d re-entered Morgana’s chambers, and Merlin had asked what that had been all about, she’d told him that what Arthur wanted from her also concerned him, and that he should speak with Arthur himself. The three of them had spent a little more time together after that before deciding to turn in.

It was morning now, and Merlin was sitting with Gaius, distractedly playing with his food. If it was something that concerned both he and Gwen, then it was likely about their relationship. Merlin was terrified. What if Arthur had decided he was no longer interested in the child? What if he banished Merlin from Camelot because he didn’t think he’d be able to be around the child? What if Arthur never wanted to see him again due to his gross overreaction to Arthur ending their ‘relationship’? If one could even call it that… 

He sighed softly and pushed his food away before getting up and heading out. He couldn’t bring himself to eat right now, so he’d just do it later. Probably  _ after  _ this talk with Arthur… Though, a huge part of him just wanted to avoid it… Maybe he should. Just go about today as he had yesterday. Arthur had managed to dress himself in the past…

With that in mind, Merlin made a b-line straight for the kitchen. He’d drop off Arthur’s breakfast, set out his clothes, open the curtains, then flee before he got caught. Yeah, he’d probably get into trouble for that in the long run, but he wasn’t really thinking about the long run right now.

He was quick about his time in the kitchen and sped up to Arthur’s chambers. He carefully entered the room and put the food down at the table before creeping over to the wardrobe, keeping his gaze fixed on Arthur, who was sound asleep in bed. Merlin swallowed passed the lump in his throat and fought the urge to just climb into bed with his Prince. He gently opened the wardrobe and collected Arthur’s clothes for the day. He put them behind the screen and approached the curtains. He took a deep breath and yanked them open before bolting out of the room.

He didn’t stop running until he was positive Arthur hadn’t followed him, then leaned back against a wall to catch his breath. Once he’d calmed down some, he turned with the intention to head down the hall and find some way to avoid Arthur all day, only to smack directly into the King, which caused him to stumble back and fall directly on his butt. He winced before searing panic shot through him. That wouldn’t harm the baby would it!? Unfortunately, he didn’t have much time to dwell on that thought.

“Do you  _ ever  _ watch what you’re doing!?” Uther snapped.

Merlin cowered away from him a bit before scrambling to his feet

“I-I’m sorry, my Lord,” He sputtered, bowing deep in the hopes of appeasing the violent tyrant he, regrettably, called his King.

Uther scoffed in obvious irritation

“Sorry?” He spat, brushing himself off and fixing his clothes somewhat “I should have you put in the stocks.”

Merlin whimpered softly and peeked up at Uther

“Please… It won’t happen again… I’m sorry,” He pleaded, he had a sneaking suspicion that rotting fruit and vegetables wouldn’t exactly go well with his morning sickness.

Surprisingly enough, mucking out the stables didn’t bother him, which he was endlessly grateful for. No need to make an already unpleasant job worse. His chin was roughly gripped and Uther forced him to straighten up.

“Then perhaps I should have you flogged or beaten,” He snarled.

Merlin paled in horror and he frantically shook his head

“No! Please!” He squeeked.

_ He  _ could take a beating, the frail infant he was carrying was another story. This whole situation was so foreign to him. As he’d never expected to be pregnant, he’d never bothered to learn too much about it, so he didn’t know what he could or couldn’t do, or what could or couldn’t be done to him, but he had a feeling getting flogged or beaten was exactly  _ healthy  _ for the baby… Uther tugged him closer by his chin and just glared into his eyes for a moment. There was heat in them that made Merlin’s gut coil nervously.

“You certainly need to be punished,” Uther hissed “If neither the stocks nor flogging are good enough, what would  _ you  _ have me do?”

Merlin had to bite his tongue to keep himself from getting snarky. He, personally, didn’t think he deserved to be punished. All he’d done was bump into the man… It was an honest accident, and could happen to anybody. 

“P-Perhaps I could… Make it up to you, in some way…?” He suggested carefully “My Lord…”

Uther raised an eyebrow a bit, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. That made Merlin light up a bit, that it seemed he’d said the right thing. Uther’s thumb slipped up Merlin’s chin to gently stroke along his bottom lip

“Perhaps.” Was all he said.

Merlin swallowed and just stared up at Uther in silence, becoming more and more uncomfortable with each passing second. But then, Uther pulled away

“You will entertain me in my chambers tonight,” He ordered before heading off, not giving Merlin a chance to respond.

Merlin just blinked before shrinking in on himself again. Well… Shit…

It was coming up on the evening now, and although Merlin had managed to successfully avoid Arthur all day, he was considering going to see him now, in the hopes he’d find a way to get Merlin out of whatever it was the King wanted from him.

He was standing outside Arthur’s door, with his hand raised to knock, but he was frozen. If he went inside, Arthur could likely get him out of his duty to Uther, but then they’d have to  _ talk _ . And he  _ really  _ didn’t want to hear what Arthur had to say. It was probably bad…

He weighed his options, and found he was probably screwed either way. He moved away from the door and headed off to see the King. He’d already spent the last two days avoiding Arthur, no need for all that effort to go to waste. Especially since he didn’t actually know if Arthur would even bother protecting him.

He halted outside the King’s chambers and carefully knocked on the door.

“Enter!” Uther called.

Merlin took a breath and entered the room

“I’m here, my Lord,” He informed.

Uther was sitting in a chair, just looking out the window

“Early,” He commented.

Merlin lowered his gaze

“Sorry… Is it a bad time?” He worried.

Uther looked over his shoulder at Merlin and shook his head

“No, you’re simply early,” He assured.

Merlin smiled a bit before sheepishly rubbing his arm. Uther curled his finger to beckon Merlin closer.

“Kneel,” He ordered as the boy approached.

Merlin nervously chewed his lip as he reluctantly obeyed. Uther cupped his cheek and ran his thumb over his bottom lip

“So full and lovely,” He praised, pressing his finger into Merlin’s mouth.

His eyes fluttered closed and he instinctively suckled on the digit, shuddering a bit at the way the action made Uther moan under his breath. Uther slowly pulled his hand away, and Merlin peeked up at him, paling a bit when the King started unlacing his breeches

“You are going to satisfy your King, do you understand?” He purred.

Merlin swallowed thickly and whimpered under his breath before hesitantly nodding

“Y-Yes, Sire…”

Arthur was sitting at the table in his chambers after having finished his dinner. He was waiting for Merlin, who would, eventually, pop by to clean up, as he had yesterday. Arthur would wait all night if that’s what it took. Sure, it was getting pretty late now, but he’d keep waiting. Merlin would have to show up eventually.

He hopped to his feet when a knock sounded at the door

“Come in!” He urged.

The door opened and Arthur slumped just slightly at the sight of Gwen. It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy to see her, it was simply that she wasn’t who he’d been hoping for

“Guinevere,” He greeted.

She smiled at him before cocking an eyebrow at the dirty dishes

“Would you like me to clear that away?” She offered.

Arthur looked over at them

“Uh, no, thank you, I’ll have Merlin do it…” He muttered.

If Merlin ever decided to make an appearance.

“I haven’t seen much of him today,” Gwen hummed “He’s been making himself quite scarce, so I assume you’ve yet to speak with him?”

Arthur pouted a bit and nodded

“Yeah… I haven’t seen him at all today. I know he was in here, when I woke up my breakfast was already here, but he ran off as soon as he opened the curtains,” He sighed softly before glancing back up at her “Did you tell him why I wanted to speak with him?”

Gwen shook her head

“No, I simply told him that he should talk to you himself,” She assured “Who knows what ideas he’s gone and given himself. You know how he can get…”

Arthur chewed his lip. The last thing he wanted was Merlin to think he was upset with him. He rubbed the back of his neck and lowered his gaze

“What about you… Have you thought much about my proposal?” He wondered.

Gwen sighed softly

“There’s a lot to consider,” She admitted “I do love you, Arthur, but I don’t know if I could handle sharing you.”

Arthur glanced up at her and nodded

“I understand… I know this is difficult, I just…-” He cut himself off and looked down again “I don’t know what to do…”

Gwen gave him a sympathetic look and approached him

“I know how you feel,” She soothed, rubbing his arm “It can be so difficult to have to choose between two people that you love.”

Arthur pressed his forehead against her shoulder and sighed in frustration

“I don’t want to hurt anyone…” He whimpered.

Gwen was silent for a moment before she hummed a bit

“If it turns out that either Merlin or I cannot handle the idea of sharing you, then you need to stay with Merlin,” She stated firmly.

Arthur snapped up and just stared at her in confusion. Gwen shifted to stand in front of him and grabbed both of his hands, giving them a loving squeeze

“He’s carrying your child, Arthur,” She reminded “As much as I love you, Merlin  _ needs  _ you, and if I were to give you up to  _ anyone  _ else, I would want it to be him.”

Arthur lowered his gaze a bit dejectedly

“And you’re okay with that? You’d be able to see me with another everyday?” He worried.

Gwen leaned in and kissed him on the cheek

“I already see you with him every day, see the looks you give each other, and how you’d both rather die than see the other get hurt,” She breathed “I’ve seen that every day almost since you met him.”

Arthur blushed deeply and cleared his throat, sheepishly rubbing his neck. He hadn’t realized they’d been swooning for each other that long… 

“Thank you, Guinevere,” He mumbled “You’re a far better person than I am.”

Gwen gave him a cheeky grin

“I know,” She chirped playfully before fondly patting his cheek “I should go, Lady Morgana wanted to see me this evening.”

With that, she kissed Arthur on the cheek again and left. Arthur tried to follow the touch and stumbled a bit, blushing when Gwen giggled at him as she closed the door. He sighed and glanced back at the dirty dishes. This was getting ridiculous now… He pushed himself up and left the room, intent on tracking down his elusive manservant.

Whatever it was Merlin  _ thought  _ Arthur needed to talk to him about, it was imperative Arthur find and assure him that it was nothing  _ bad _ . At least… Arthur  _ hoped  _ that’s how Merlin would see it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the chapter :)


	8. Hypocrite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur and Merlin finally have that talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't how I planned this, but then someone left an awesome comment and I was like hmm

Arthur hadn’t been able to find Merlin that night, and the boy hadn’t shown up that morning either. Now, Arthur was starting to get concerned. At least when Merlin was just avoiding him, he still got his job done. He entered the Physician's chambers and waved a bit at Gaius

“Good morning,” He greeted “Is Merlin still in bed?”

Gaius frowned as he looked up from brewing a potion

“Merlin? I thought he was with you, he didn’t return last night,” He explained.

Arthur’s eyes widened

“What?” He sputtered.

He took a breath to keep from freaking out

“Thanks,” He muttered before quickly leaving.

If Merlin hadn’t returned home last night, then where the hell was he? Should he check the tavern? He crinkled his nose; no, hopefully Merlin had more sense than to go hanging around in a tavern while he was pregnant. What if he got into a fight?

Maybe he should ask Morgana if she’d seen him? Well, it wasn’t like he’d be losing anything if he did that, so why not? He made his way down the hall towards her chambers, only to round a corner and have someone smack right into him. Knowing the only person in the castle clumsy enough to collide directly with the Prince was Merlin, Arthur immediately shot an arm out to catch him before he fell

“Merlin!” Well, at least that would save him a trip “Careful, it’s not just  _ you  _ you have to worry about!”

Merlin wobbled before visibly paling and shrinking away a bit, which made Arthur’s heart ache

“M-My Lord,” He mumbled nervously.

Arthur let out a small sigh of relief when he saw Merlin seemed to be unharmed

“I was worried, where have you been?” He huffed.

Merlin’s eyes widened in confusion

“Worried?” He gaped “I thought… I thought you were angry with me…”

Arthur rolled his eyes

“Why? Because I needed to talk with you?” He drawled “That doesn’t mean I’m upset with you.”

Merlin winced and lowered his gaze

“...Oh…”

Arthur cupped his cheeks and made him look up

“Actually, it’s a good thing… At least… I hope it is,” He assured “Can we talk, or are you going to run away from me again?”

Merlin glanced nervously down the hall where he’d just come from before nodding

“I’m available…” He muttered.

Arthur cocked an eyebrow before looking over Merlin’s shoulder. The only place down this hall that Merlin could have been coming from was… The King’s chambers.

“Did my father need something from you?” He wondered, it would explain why Merlin had been so late… But Gaius had said he never came home the night before…

Merlin tensed at the question before shaking his head

“It’s not important,” He huffed “Now do you want to talk or not?”

Well that was a dead giveaway that it indeed  _ was  _ important, but Arthur could tell Merlin had no intention of spilling the beans, so he’d leave it for now.

“Yes, come,” He urged, leading Merlin back towards his chambers.

Arthur led Merlin to the bed once they were inside and sat him down before kneeling in front of him

“I want to preface this by saying the decision is  _ entirely  _ your’s and Guinevere’s, and if either of you are uncomfortable with the idea, I’ll drop it and never bring it up again,” He started.

Merlin blinked before nodding for him to continue, blushing deeply, likely at the fact Arthur was kneeling in front of him. It flipped their usual dynamic on its head in a way he was nowhere near prepared to deal with.

“Two days ago, when I spoke with Guinevere outside Morgana’s chambers, I proposed a possible solution to the relationship issues we’ve been having. I love her, but… I-” His voice broke and he quickly averted his gaze, flushing deeply.

He’d never actually admitted his feelings to  _ Merlin _ before… And it was a lot harder than he’d been expecting. Which didn’t make sense, it was obvious at this point that Merlin felt the same way. Merlin didn’t press him, which was appreciated.

“-I also…  love  you …” He mumbled,  _ barely  _ audible.

Merlin leaned in a bit closer

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t catch that.”

Arthur’s blush deepened and he cleared his throat

“I said I love you!” He snapped, eyes squeezed shut “And I don’t want to lose you, or Guinevere, so I… I suggested polygamy.”

It was quiet, and Arthur was afraid to look up. What if Merlin was completely disgusted with the idea?

“You love me?” Merlin finally spoke.

Arthur peeked up at him. He didn’t look disgusted, but he was blushing deeper than Arthur had  _ ever  _ seen a man blush. He took a deep breath and nodded

“Yes… I love you, Merlin,” He breathed.

Merlin stiffened and bit his lip, making the  _ cutest  _ little sound in the back of his throat. Arthur raised up, lips inches from Merlin’s lips

“So much…” He kissed him deeply as he spoke, holding him close.

Merlin  _ melted _ , hands clutching at Arthur’s sleeves to stable himself. It seemed as though the polygamy suggestion had gone right over his head for the time being. Arthur reluctantly pulled away, having to put a hand on Merlin’s chest when he whimpered and tried to follow

“We… We’re not done talking,” He chuckled breathlessly.

Merlin’s eyelashes fluttered. He seemed a bit dazed, but Arthur figured this was all a lot to take in, especially after the last two days.

“Guinevere is still thinking about it, and you, of course, may also take as much time as you need. But, her and I spoke about it last night while I was waiting for you and… If either of you are uncomfortable with the idea, then she is… Willing to step back, and allow us to be together,” He explained slowly.

Merlin blinked in confusion for a moment

“I… Wha-?” He sputtered, shaking his head to clear the fog “Why?”

Arthur cocked an eyebrow and smirked, lowering a hand to Merlin’s stomach

“Why do you think?”

Merlin glanced down and blushed

“Oh… Right…” He mumbled bashfully.

Arthur sat down next to him and nuzzled his cheek. He figured, unless Merlin flat out rejected him, this was who he’d definitely be getting regardless. He’d basically gotten permission from Gwen, all that remained was whether or not she was comfortable sharing.

He just stared at Merlin fondly for a moment before taking a breath

“Now… Why did my father want to see you?” He asked.

Merlin winced and turned his head away

“I don’t want to talk about it…” He grumbled.

And he  _ really  _ didn’t. It wasn’t important, even if he was still a bit sore. Besides, Merlin didn’t want to see how Arthur would react to finding out Uther had bedded him that night… Against Merlin’s best wishes. He stiffened when his hand was gripped

“Merlin,” Arthur said firmly “Did he hurt you?”

Merlin gave him a dejected look but otherwise didn’t respond. Arthur’s grip on his hand tightened and the look in his eyes was downright scary

“What. Did. He. Do?” He hissed.

Merlin shrunk away under Arthur’s heated tone, he knew Arthur wasn’t upset with  _ him _ , but he couldn’t help but feel like he’d done something wrong. Arthur took a deep breath and grabbed both of Merlin’s hands

“Please, I’m not upset, I’m just… I’m concerned,” He assured “Talk to me.”

Merlin lowered his gaze

“Why? It’s not like it’ll make a difference… He’s the  _ King _ … He can do whatever and  _ who _ ever he wants…” He mumbled.

Arthur’s breath hitched and he tightened his grip a bit. Not enough to hurt, but enough to make his displeasure known

“He took you?” He asked, tone unreadable.

Merlin bit his lip and nodded slowly before snapping his gaze up to look Arthur in the eye

“I didn’t want to!” He quickly assured “When he made me kneel before him I thought that he only wanted-” His voice cracked and failed as he blushed deeply, he took a shaky breath to calm himself before trying again “-I thought he only wanted my mouth… But I’m, as you know, not very good…. With my mouth…”

Arthur’s expression was as unreadable as his tone and he just stared blankly at the wall, porcessing what Merlin had said. He let out a frustrated sigh

“He is  _ such  _ a hypocrite…” He scowled.

Merlin let a little smile slip, he knew Arthur was referring to Uther’s ban on homosexuality.

“Are you alright?” That question caught him a bit by surprise.

“O-Oh… Yes. I’m fine,” Merlin assured bashfully “Well… I’m a bit sore, and I wish it hadn’t happened, but… I’ll live.”

Arthur leaned in and kissed him on the cheek

“I’ve half a mind to kill him,” He breathed.

Merlin shook his head

“Don’t do that… Remember how that went last time?” He reminded “You’re angry now, but I know you’d never forgive yourself. He is still your father.”

Arthur huffed and buried his face in the crook of Merlin’s neck

“I know…” He grumbled.

Merlin fondly ran his hands through Arthur’s hair, buzzing with happiness at  _ finally  _ being back where he belonged; wrapped in his Prince’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uther: *Does something really douchy and hypocritical*
> 
> Arthur:  
> [](https://ibb.co/k9N9ZSJ)


	9. Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur pays the consequences for confronting Uther about what he did to Merlin, and Gwen comes to a decision regarding her relationship with Arthur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 👀

Merlin kept his gaze lowered as he filled Morgana’s cup with water. The atmosphere in the room was thick and uncomfortable as Arthur kept a fiery glare on Uther. Morgana smiled up at Merlin and thanked him before grabbing her cup and glancing between the other two men. She took a quiet sip before putting her cup down

“Is everything alright?” She wondered.

Uther looked up from his food and caught Arthur’s glare, which only intensified when their eyes met. Merlin pursed his lips together and walked around the table to refill Arthur’s cup. He and Uther were just staring each other down now. Morgana turned her attention back to her food

“Bad question to ask, apparently…” She muttered to herself as she continued eating.

Uther put his cutlery down a little harder than necessary

“Is there something you would like to say to me, Arthur!?” He snapped.

Merlin forced his hands not to tremble as he filled Arthur’s cup.

“I’m afraid it would be inappropriate to utter the things I have to say to you in front of a lady,” Arthur spat in response.

Morgana’s eyebrows raised in amusement and she bit her lip to keep from laughing. Merlin pursed his lips together and cleared his throat softly. Uther narrowed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists

“You will speak to me with respect!” He ordered.

Arthur just scoffed, opening his mouth to retort, but Merlin quickly touched his shoulder and shook his head. He took a deep, frustrated breath and turned his attention back to his food. Morgana glanced between him and Uther before shaking her head and continuing to eat.

Merlin fondly patted Arthur’s shoulder before heading over to fill Uther’s cup. Uther continued to hold a stern glare on Arthur for a little while longer before looking back down at his plate, shaking his head in frustration

“I have need of your manservant this morning. I trust you can manage without him for a while?” He informed.

Arthur immediately looked up from his food

“No!” He snapped firmly.

The room fell silent and Merlin quickly shrunk away from Uther, fleeing to stand behind Morgana, who he was closest to. She immediately shot a hand out and gently grabbed his wrist to comfort him. Uther just blinked in disbelief at Arthur

“Did you just… Tell me ‘no’?”

Arthur pushed his plate away and stood

“That’s right. I said ‘no’. I’m not going to let you treat Merlin like some common harlot!” He snapped.

Merlin averted his gaze and crinkled his nose, blushing deeply. He  _ really  _ didn’t want them to be having this conversation in front of Morgana… Uther stood and snarled at Arthur a bit

“He is a  _ servant _ , and I am the King! I can do as I please with him!” He yelled.

Morgana abruptly stood and grabbed the jug Merlin was holding, quickly putting it aside before grabbing him by the wrist and leading him out of the room. He kept his gaze down in shame

“I’m sorry you had to hear that…” He mumbled dejectedly.

Morgana glanced over her shoulder at him

“I’m a big girl, I can take hearing some harsh words,” She assured “I’m more concerned about you… Uther didn’t  _ really _ -”

She, kindly, cut herself off from saying it out loud. Merlin bit his lip and nodded carefully

“I begged him not to but… Well… I’m just a servant… Right?” He sighed.

Morgana stopped only to pull Merlin into a tight hug

“I’m so sorry, Merlin,” She breathed.

Merlin stiffened in her grasp before slowly relaxing, tears welling up in his eyes as he did. He carefully returned the embrace and buried his face in the crook of her neck

“Thank you…” He whimpered.

They both flinched when yelling erupted from the dining hall and quickly pulled apart. Morgana nodded curtly and continued to lead Merlin away

“No need to suffer that. Let them sort it out themselves,” She drawled.

Merlin smiled at her as they made their way towards her chambers.

He stared at his reflection in Morgana’s mirror as she weaved flowers through his hair, blushing deeply when Gwen giggled fondly.

“Don’t take those out when you’re done, I want Arthur to see it,” She chirped.

Merlin lowered his gaze and chewed his lip, just letting the girls have their way with him. He had a sizable flower crown now. Morgana leaned down next to him to get a better look in the mirror and smiled

“I think you look lovely,” She hummed.

Merlin blushed and gave her a nervous smile. He didn’t think so, but then again, he rarely thought he looked good.

“If you say so…” He mumbled.

He was sure under normal circumstances, he’d be having a lot more fun right now, but as things were, all Merlin could think about was Arthur, and the fiasco that had gone down at breakfast. He was pulled from his thoughts by giggling and glanced up just in time to see Morgana pull away from kissing Gwen on the cheek. He quickly averted his gaze respectfully, having not meant to pry…

“Um… I think I should go check on Arthur,” He muttered bashfully as he stood.

Morgana was holding Gwen’s hand as she looked over at him

“Check his chambers, he’s probably been confined to them after yelling at Uther like that,” She suggested “And don’t take that off!”

Merlin raised his hands in defense

“I’ll leave it where it is,” He assured before heading out, glancing back just in time to see Gwen return Morgana’s kiss.

He scurried out of the room, blushing deeply. When did  _ that  _ happen? He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised, they had always been close.

Merlin made his way through the halls towards Arthur’s chambers, blushing the entire way at the looks people were giving him for the flower crown. He reached up and adjusted it a bit, fighting the urge to rip it off so people would stop staring at him. He came to a stop outside Arthur’s chambers and glanced at the guards stationed outside. He took a breath and entered the room. Arthur was sitting on the window sill, glaring at something outside.

“Is everything alright, my Lord?” Merlin worried.

Arthur perked up

“Merlin! I was-” He cut himself off after turning towards Merlin “-What is on your head?”

Merlin averted his gaze, quickly reaching up and taking it off

“Sorry… I was with Morgana and Gwen… I guess she got bored,” He explained sheepishly.

Arthur stood and approached him, taking the crown and putting it back on Merlin’s head

“Well I’ll have to thank her, I didn’t think you could possibly get any cuter, but she’s gone and proved me wrong,” He sighed lovingly before wrapping his arms around Merlin’s waist and pulling him close, kissing him deeply.

Merlin immediately melted into the gesture, eagerly throwing his arms around Arthur’s neck. A part of him was still worried he'd wake up and find he was dreaming. Arthur reluctantly pulled away from the kiss only to place a hand on Merlin's stomach

"How are you feeling today? Nauseous?" He worried.

Merlin shook his head

"Not so much today," He assured "But that could change. Gaius gave me that tonic just in case."

Arthur crouched to be eye level with Merlin's stomach and leaned forward to nuzzle him

"Hello," He whispered "Thank you for not making my Merlin sick today."

Merlin's eyes widened and he blushed deeply, reaching up to cover his mouth. It was  _ too  _ cute. He lowered his hand to ruffle it through Arthur's hair

"You're going to be a wonderful father," He sighed.

Arthur glanced up at Merlin before kissing his stomach and rising back up

"You think?" He chuckled sheepishly.

Merlin nodded and pecked the tip of Arthur's nose

"As great a father as you will be a King," He chirped.

Arthur cleared his throat and averted his gaze, blushing a bit. Merlin cocked an eyebrow and grinned, he loved very few things more than when he managed to make Arthur all flustered like that. It didn’t happen often, so he cherished every moment it did.

“I noticed the guards outside,” He commented.

Arthur crinkled his nose and rolled his eyes, groaning softly under his breath

“Oh, yeah,” He grumbled “ _ Father  _ didn’t like how I denied him access to you, so he confined me to my chambers until ‘further notice’.”

Merlin followed Arthur over to the bed and they sat down together

“Well… Thank you,” He mumbled “For protecting me…”

Arthur took Merlin’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze

“You don’t need to thank me for that,” He assured “Honestly, what  _ else  _ would I have done? Just let him do whatever he wants to you?”

Merlin bit his lip and a little smile slipped before he shrugged

“Sometimes you tend to avoid conflict with him,” He muttered.

Arthur nodded

“Sure, if it’s not worth  _ this _ ,” He gestured around his chambers “Or getting thrown in the cells. But you're worth  _ anything _ . I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”

Merlin leaned in and kissed Arthur on the cheek. Arthur eagerly leaned into the gesture, a giddy, love-sick smile slipping. Merlin pulled away and grinned

“You’re cute,” He chirped before perking up a bit “Oh! I forgot to mention, don’t take my word on this completely, but I  _ think  _ something might be going on between Morgana and Gwen.”

Arthur wrapped an arm loosely around Merlin’s waist

“Oh? What do you mean?” He asked.

Merlin chewed the inside of his cheek

“I’m not completely sure, but they were getting quite… Affectionate… While I was in there,” He explained “They kissed each other on the cheek, and not in a greeting sort of way. But I mean, they are also girls, so it could just be a girl thing.”

Arthur pursed his lips together a bit and lowered his gaze in thought

“Hmm… Well, it’s not a huge deal either way, it wouldn’t be fair of me to request permission to see multiple people, but not extend that courtesy to you and Guinevere. I’m sure if something dues come of it, she’ll tell me,” He hummed “I trust her.”

Merlin’s eyes widened and he blushed

“But I don’t  _ want  _ to see other people,” He whimpered.

Arthur snorted a small chuckle and fondly shook his head

“You don’t  _ have  _ to,” He teased “But the option is there… Just… Tell me?”

Merlin quickly pulled Arthur into a kiss

“Of  _ course _ ,” He breathed against his lips “I would  _ never  _ hurt you like that…”

Arthur winced slightly and averted his gaze

“That’s good… You’re a better person than I am… I hurt Guinevere,” He sighed dejectedly.

Merlin ran a hand through Arthur’s hair

“Yes… But you’ve done what you can to remedy your mistake-”

“-I don’t consider it a mistake,” Arthur immediately cut in “I regret the pain the action caused, but I don’t regret the action. I  _ love  _ you, and I  _ love  _ our unborn child.”

Merlin pursed his lips together and blushed deeply before flinching when someone knocked on the door. Arthur glanced over before reluctantly pulling away to answer the door.

“Yes?” He asked as he opened it.

Gwen smiled and waved before giving the guards a wary look

“Can we talk?” She asked.

Arthur nodded and quickly let her inside. She grinned and approached Merlin, leaning down to his stomach

“Hello sweetie,” She greeted before fondly patting his stomach, causing Merlin to cover his mouth and giggle.

Arthur sat down next to Merlin and smiled at him and Gwen.

“It’s come to my attention that you and Morgana have grown closer,” He informed.

Gwen straightened and blushed

“Yes… That’s what I wanted to speak with you about,” She mumbled sheepishly.

Arthur nodded and patted the spot next to him for her to sit, which she gladly did. Gwen took a breath and looked up at him

“This… Polygamy suggestion of yours,” She started “I’ll admit, I’m not totally against it, but my hesitation begins with our situation specifically. You have a child on the way, Arthur. Are you  _ sure  _ what you’re suggesting would be ideal for it?”

Arthur frowned a bit and lowered his gaze in thought. Gwen put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze

“I will  _ always  _ love you, Arthur, but your child is going to have it hard enough  _ without  _ the added stress of maintaining a polygamous relationship under Uther’s reign. You and Merlin are both boys, and you won’t be King yet by the time the baby comes,” She explained “It will be hard enough on the three of you having to deal with Uther, without adding our relationship into the mix.”

Merlin winced and lowered his gaze. Gwen, honestly, had a point, and it was clear Arthur could see that.

“You’re right, as usual,” He admitted softly “I… I hadn’t considered that, I was only trying to find a way for everyone to be happy…”

He sounded so wounded, and it nearly broke Merlin’s heart in two. He was sure Gwen felt the same way.

“I  _ am  _ happy, Arthur,” She assured “I have… Morgana.”

Arthur glanced up at her and a smile slipped

“Well, then I’m content. I know she’ll be good to you.”

Gwen pulled him into a tight hug and kissed his cheek

“She  _ is _ ,” She assured.

Arthur gave her a fond squeeze before walking her out of the room

“I’d escort you back to Morgana’s chambers, but I’m not allowed to leave mine,” He huffed.

Gwen giggled softly and fondly patted his cheek

“A small price to pay to protect someone precious,” She cooed before leaving.

Arthur closed the door and leaned back against it. It hurt to lose Gwen, but it really was for the best. And had he  _ really  _ lost her? She’d still be around, and Morgana would be there to make her happy in all the ways Arthur had intended to. He approached Merlin from behind, crawling across the bed to wrap his arms around his waist, and kissed the tender spot behind his ear

“Looks like I’m  _ all  _ yours now,” He breathed.

Merlin leaned back into the embrace and smiled contently

“And I’ll  _ always  _ be yours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will take place after a time skip.


	10. Showing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At twelve weeks, Merlin needs to start adding new holes to his belt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is about six weeks or so after the last chapter, so Merlin's got himself a nice bump now.

It was at about the twelve week mark when Merlin had to add another hole to his belt. He knew he wasn’t actually getting  _ fat _ , but the requirement made him feel insecure nonetheless. He’d started to show. It wasn’t much, a little bump that made it look like he’d had a big meal. Granted, it wasn’t like the belt just  _ suddenly  _ became too small, but over the course of the last six weeks, Merlin had been having to loosen it more and more, until it finally just didn’t fit anymore.

He was late to wake Arthur up now, but after trying to fasten his belt, and finding it too small, Merlin had hiked his shirt up and lied back down on his bed, just fondly rubbing his stomach. He had to add another hole to his belt, he really should get up and do that. The door to his room opened and Gaius entered

“Merlin, wake up, you’ll be late-” He cut himself off and halted.

Merlin scrambled to sit up and pulled his shirt down, blushing deeply

“Sorry!” He sputtered, quickly getting out of bed “I’d noticed my belt doesn’t close, and then I got distracted.”

Gaius just gave Merlin a fond smile and approached, taking his belt and the knife he’d grabbed

“Let me. I wouldn’t want you to slip and injure your baby,” He offered “Now go and see Arthur, you can come get your belt later.”

Merlin grinned before darting off to wake up his Prince.

He entered Arthur’s chambers and blushed sheepishly to find him already awake.

“Sorry I’m late,” He announced.

Arthur glanced over at him

“That’s alright. Were you ill?” He worried.

Merlin shook his head

“No, I got distracted,” He muttered “My belt doesn’t fit anymore.”

Arthur’s eyes widened and he was on his knees in front of Merlin in seconds, cooing at the bump. Merlin covered his mouth to stifle a laugh

“It’s not exactly shocking, I’ve been loosening it for weeks,” He teased “Gaius is adding more holes for me, so I don’t risk slipping and hurting myself.”

Arthur stood and kissed Merlin’s cheek

“I’ll have to thank him for that,” He sighed contently “Wouldn’t want you getting hurt after all.”

Merlin chuckled softly before heading over to make the bed. Arthur followed along behind him like a lost puppy. Merlin glanced over his shoulder and had to stifle a laugh

“If you’re  _ this  _ overprotective  _ now _ , what are you going to be like when I’m due?” He teased.

Arthur took a step back to get out of Merlin’s way as he tidied up

“Oh… Um… Hmm… I might have to find a replacement for you for a little while,” He commented.

Merlin straightened and gave Arthur a wounded look

“Replacement!?” He huffed.

Arthur winced

“Only temporarily!” He assured, waving his hands in defense “Once you’re full term, I’m worried your duties will be too much for you to handle. You’re not a woman, Merlin, you’re body isn’t exactly equipped to handle  _ this _ .”

He put a hand over the bump, rubbing gently

“I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

Merlin slumped a bit in defeat before a mischievous smirk slipped

“So… Does that mean you’ll be giving me some time off?” He chirped.

Arthur hooded his eyes and wrapped his arms around Merlin’s waist, pulling him close

“That’s right. I may even give you your own servant, so I know you won’t strain yourself,” He purred.

Merlin snorted a laugh and shook his head

“ _ Please  _ don’t do that,” He begged.

Arthur grinned before sighing heavily

“I guess  _ I’ll  _ just have to take care of you, then,” He hummed.

Merlin’s eyes widened and he blushed deeply before burying his face in the crook of Arthur’s neck. He figured if Arthur truly did want to take care of him, then there wasn’t really much  _ anyone  _ could do to stop him. It was  _ his  _ kid after all. The door opened and they  _ immediately  _ parted, much to both their dismay. Other than Merlin, there really was only  _ one  _ person who entered Arthur’s chambers without knocking.

Uther approached and roughly grabbed Arthur by the arm, pulling him away from Merlin to speak in an urgent, hushed tone. They were still at odds. Arthur had refused to relent in his protection of Merlin, which only made Uther’s temper worse. Although Arthur was no longer completely confined to his chambers, he was only allowed to leave them to go about his duties. Any free time he had was to be spent in his room.

There had been more than a few times over the past six weeks where Merlin would be shooed from the room, only for yelling from Uther and Arthur to follow. Merlin had been forcing himself to ignore the bruises Arthur often sported after times like that. His face was never marked, but angry bruises  _ littered  _ the rest of Arthur’s body, and it made Merlin sick to his stomach. Mainly because there was nothing he could do about it, and Arthur  _ refused  _ to speak about the matter.

He focused on his chores, glancing over at Uther every now and then. He was sure he wouldn’t raise a hand against Arthur while Merlin was in the room… Right? He approached the wardrobe, keeping a firm eye on Uther as he opened it. He didn’t bother paying attention to which tunic he grabbed and draped over his arm. He gathered up the rest of Arthur’s clothes for the day and stood next to the screen, waiting.

Surprisingly, despite Arthur’s consistent glare, their conversation did  _ not  _ devolve into a screaming match, and Uther left curtly. Merlin let out a little sigh of relief as the door closed and Arthur approached him

“What was that about?” He wondered.

Arthur shooed Merlin behind the screen, following after him

“A Druid camp was discovered in the woods, and I’ve been ordered to go check it out,” He explained.

Merlin frowned as Arthur took his shirt off, forcing his gaze away from the angry marks littering his arms and torso

“I assume their execution has been ordered?” He mumbled.

Arthur pursed his lips together and nodded

“Yes… Though I have no intention of following that order,” He admitted, making Merlin’s eyes light up a bit “I’ve been searching for  _ any  _ Druids ever since you mentioned we’ll probably need their help for the birth.”

Merlin helped him get his shirt on and grinned when he saw it was the laceless, faded-red tunic. It showed off so much of Arthur’s chest, and if the light hit it just right, you could see right through it. Easily Merlin’s favourite tunic of Arthur’s. He ran his hand over his chest, tugging the deep V a little farther down as he did

“Perfect,” He purred.

Arthur smirked and cocked an eyebrow, chuckling softly

“You like this one?” He teased, gripping Merlin’s waist and pulling him close.

Merlin nodded eagerly, wrapping his arms around Arthur’s neck

“I do, it’s so… Revealing,” He chirped.

Arthur licked his lips before kissing Merlin deeply

“Then I guess I’ll have to wear it more often,” He teased against his lips.

Merlin shuddered before reluctantly pulling away

“Come on, don’t start something we don’t have time to finish,” He scolded playfully.

Arthur groaned in frustration a bit before relenting

“Fine, but only if you stay with me in my chambers tonight,” He agreed.

Merlin would  _ never  _ say no to that.

After stopping by to get his modified belt from Gaius, Merlin and Arthur set out in search of the Druid camp. Merlin felt a bit uneasy about the whole thing, but he usually did whenever Uther sent them off to bother people with magic. Coupled with the fact most Druid’s would never dare get so close to Camelot, Merlin had a feeling he knew who they were going to see.

It wasn’t that long a ride, maybe an hour or so, before they came upon a small camp. Really only big enough for one or two people. Arthur dismounted his horse before looking pointedly up at Merlin

“Stay.”

He left no room for argument before venturing further into the camp. Merlin didn’t mind, he was close enough to be able to see and far enough away that if he used magic, Arthur wouldn’t notice. He carefully dismounted his horse, instinctively holding his tummy as he did so, before fondly wrapping an arm around her snout and petting her a bit.

Arthur unsheathed his sword as he carefully looked around the campsite. He knelt next to the fire pit and held a hand over it before shaking his head as he stood

“Whoever was here is long gone,” He sighed in frustration while sheathing his sword “Damn.”

Merlin patted his horses nose one last time before approaching Arthur, both hands on his stomach

“Don’t worry,” He soothed “We still have lots of time to find a Druid.”

Arthur shook his head

“Sure. But what if it takes me until you're due to find one, and they won’t even help?”

Merlin cupped his cheek before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips

“We’ll find someone. I know it,” He assured.

Arthur sighed softly in defeat before pressing his forehead to Merlin’s

“I hope so… I don’t know what I would do if I lost you…” He breathed.

Merlin pursed his lips together

“Promise me that if I do die, that you won’t lose your mind and spend the next twenty years slaughtering people, like your father…”

He hadn’t wanted to bring up the similarity between him and Ygraine, but he needed to hear Arthur promise. Arthur immediately pulled back and frowned as he processed what Merlin meant. He let out a single mirthless chuckle

“I promise.”

Merlin grinned

“Good,” He chirped before kissing the tip of Arthur’s nose “Because I’ll haunt your royal arse if you do.”

A twig snapped, and Arthur immediately whipped around towards the sound, drawing his sword, putting himself between Merlin and the intruder. A cloaked woman stood before them and Merlin swallowed thickly

“Siani…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merlin: If I die in childbirth and you turn into your father, I'll come back as a ghost and make your life a living hell.
> 
> Arthur: That's fair.


	11. Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur meets Siani and Merlin is faced with uncomfortable truths surrounding his situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should preface this by saying that I don't think Siani is evil, but she's also not exactly a good person. Like, there is a reason why she's just some lone Druid wondering around the forest.

Arthur immediately lowered his sword and straightened up

“ _ You’re  _ Siani?” He gaped.

She lowered her hood and took a step forward

“Yes, and  _ you  _ are Arthur Pendragon, Crown Prince of Camelot,” She hummed “For what do I owe this interruption?”

Arthur sheathed his sword

“My father has sent me to arrest you and deliver you to your execution,” He explained flatly.

A little smirk tugged at Siani’s lips

“Oh? Then why haven’t you?” She wondered while circling him a bit.

Arthur watched her walk

“You’re the Druid who blessed Merlin?” He had to confirm.

Her eyes darted to Merlin before looking back at Arthur

“Yes. I presume the blessing was fruitful?”

Arthur glanced back at Merlin and nodded

“It was…” He muttered.

Siani folded her hands behind her back

“You are not pleased?” She wondered.

Arthur’s head immediately snapped up

“No, I am!” He stated firmly “But I’m also concerned. Merlin isn’t a woman…”

Siani chuckled softly under her breath

“And you worry having the child will kill him.” It wasn’t a question.

Merlin frowned a bit. Siani didn’t seem particularly concerned about that, so either she didn’t care if he died, which made no sense; if she didn’t care, why save him in the first place? Or… There wasn’t actually anything to worry about…

“Should I not be worried?” Arthur asked.

Siani hummed to herself

“No, not that he will die anyway,” She sighed “Of course, there’s nothing I can say or do that will keep you from worrying about him in general, though.”

Arthur let out a little huff of relief

“I don’t understand, the blessing will protect him?” He asked.

Siani looked over at Merlin

“It will work in harmony with the natural powers at his disposal,” She explained cryptically.

Merlin’s eyes widened a fraction. To him anyway, it was clear she was talking about his magic. Which, in retrospect, made sense. Druid’s were people of magic. Arthur frowned in confusion

“Natural powers? What does that mean?” He grumbled.

Merlin winced and averted his gaze. He had a feeling he’d have to reveal his magic to Arthur whether he wanted to or not at this point, since the likelihood of their child having magic was  _ very  _ high. Siani glanced between the two of them

“That is not for me to say. You should speak with Merlin in your own time about it.”

Arthur huffed in frustration before jerking away when Siani approached him, wincing when she put some kind of necklace over his head and around his neck

“If you should have need of me, I will come,” She assured “Keep them safe.”

She patted Arthur’s chest over the charm on the necklace before pulling her hood up and retreating into the woods. Arthur let her go.

“What are you going to tell the King?” Merlin worried as they rode back to Camelot.

Arthur smirked

“The truth. The Druid was gone when we arrived, and had left no trail. Probably covered it with magic.”

Merlin let a little grin slip and he fondly shook his head. Fair enough. Uther didn’t need to know that she’d returned. Still, he found himself worried. What if Uther didn’t buy it, or punished Arthur anyway?

“Just try not to  _ make  _ him angry?” He pleaded, averting his gaze “I can’t take seeing anymore bruises on you…”

When Arthur didn’t respond, Merlin glanced over at him and winced. His grip on the reins had tightened and he was clenching his jaw, eyes lowered a bit. Merlin took a careful breath

“Why don’t you fight back?” He asked.

Arthur huffed and shook his head

“Better me than you,” He drawled before sighing softly “And besides, he’s my  _ father _ . It’s well within his right to discipline me.”

Merlin made an uneasy sound in the back of his throat

“Sure, maybe when you were younger, but you aren’t a child anymore,” He mumbled “And there’s a line between discipline and abuse… Are you  _ sure  _ he hasn’t crossed it?”

Now wasn’t the time to bring up that, in Merlin’s opinion, Uther had crossed that line years ago. Years before Merlin had even met Arthur. The way Uther wasn’t even remotely ashamed to put his hands on his son, or the way he’d put him in chains in a heartbeat if pushed far enough, or how he always made Arthur feel so very,  _ very  _ small. Arthur often reacted to affection from Uther with more confusion than the first time Merlin tried to hug him.

He tilted his head a bit when Arthur didn’t respond. The fact that Arthur couldn’t, immediately, state that no lines had been crossed did  _ not  _ sit well with Merlin.

“He loves me,” Arthur said after a long moment “So it’s okay.”

Merlin grit his teeth together and took a deep, calming breath. He wanted to keep talking about this, but he’d already pushed Arthur enough for one afternoon. But he wasn’t done with this. Not by a long shot. He needed Arthur to understand that the way Uther treated him, father or not,  _ King  _ or not, was far from  _ okay _ .

Arthur made his way through the citadel towards the throne room to speak with Uther, Merlin trailing a bit behind him

“Maybe you should go see Gaius,” He suddenly suggested “This could get… Heated.”

Well, at least he knew.

“I’ll be fine,” Merlin assured “I’ll keep away from him, but I’m not leaving you alone.”

Arthur sighed heavily but didn’t protest as he entered the throne room. Uther was going over some documents with a few members of the council. 

“Sire,” Arthur said, announcing his presence.

Uther looked up from his work

“Ah, Arthur, did you find the Druid?” He asked.

Arthur shook his head

“We found the campsite, but the Druid had gone by the time we got there. No trail was left, likely covered by magic,” He explained.

Uther grip on the parchment in his hands visibly tightened

“So you didn’t even bother to search?” He growled.

Merlin lowered his gaze and chewed on his lower lip as the council members fled the room as discreetly as they could. Arthur huffed in frustration

“There was  _ nothing  _ to indicate where the Druid could have gone! What did you want me to do?”

Merlin nervously tapped a finger against the wall he was standing against. Uther put the document aside as he stood, and approached Arthur aggressively

“I expected you to find this Druid and deliver it to me!” He snapped.

Merlin bit his lip in anger at the ‘it’ comment. Siani was Druid, a person, she wasn’t some monster. 

“What is this?” Uther suddenly asked, voice low and menacing.

Panic shot through Merlin and his breath hitched. The charm! Arthur glanced down at the necklace Siani had given him

“It… Was a gift,” He muttered.

Uther grabbed a fistful of Arthur’s hair and yanked his head back, pulling a muffle yelp from him

“A gift from whom?” He snarled.

Merlin took a protective step forward before forcing himself to stop

“Me!” He quickly responded before Uther could do anymore harm “It’s just a trinket, supposed to bring luck!”

Uther glanced over at him, eyes narrowed dangerously. Arthur’s fists were clenched tight from the effort of forcing himself not to grab at Uther’s hand, pulling painfully on his hair. Uther scoffed before shoving Arthur away and releasing his hair

“Return to your chambers, I’ll deal with you later.”

Arthur kept a venomous glare on him for a moment before bowing spitefully and leaving the room, Merlin right behind him. He stopped and pushed Merlin into a wall, not too hard, but enough to make it known he was being serious

“ _ Never  _ butt in like that again,” He warned “ I won’t have him hurting you-” He dropped a trembling hand to Merlin’s stomach “-Especially not right now.”

Merlin averted his gaze

“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t stand there and watch him hurt you,” He whimpered.

Arthur pressed their foreheads together

“That’s why I told you to go see Gaius,” He sighed.

Merlin sniffled, reaching up to wipe his eyes. He was so emotional lately. Granted, he knew why, but  _ still _ . Arthur cupped his cheeks and kissed him firmly on the forehead

“Come on,” He urged “Let’s get back to my chambers.”

Merlin followed along after him as they made their way back up to Arthur’s room. It seemed Uther was perfectly content keeping Arthur confined this long, despite the fact he hadn’t  _ really  _ done anything wrong. Nothing beyond talking back anyway.

Once back in the room, Arthur flopped down on his bed and groaned softly in frustration. Merlin smiled fondly and approached, sitting down next to him. He grabbed the charm and tugged it closer to get a better look. Arthur propped himself up on his elbows

“Quick thinking back there,” He praised “Even if you shouldn’t have gotten involved.”

Merlin just smirked as he rubbed a thumb over the charm

“I can’t bear to even  _ think  _ what he would have done to you if he found out the truth.”

Arthur took one of Merlin’s hands

“He likely would have flogged me,” He admitted “Among other things.”

Merlin crinkled his nose and shook his head. He hated the idea of bringing a baby into the world under Uther’s reign, and if he could hold it in long enough for Arthur to become King, he would. A hand touched his side and Merlin flinched a bit before glancing over at Arthur’s face, blushing deeply at his heated expression

“What?” He huffed.

Arthur sat up and kissed Merlin’s cheek

“I was hoping you were in the mood,” He purred.

Merlin leaned into the gesture and giggled under his breath

“In broad daylight? How scandalous, Sire,” He teased.

Arthur just grinned before leaning down, tugging Merlin’s neckerchief out of the way and littering him with love bites. Merlin tilted his head to the side to give Arthur more room to mark to his heart's content, moaning softly. He wrapped his arms around his Prince, ruffling his hands through his hair

“Hmm… Soft,” He praised.

Arthur pulled away a bit to press into Merlin’s petting

“I’m not a dog, you know,” He mumbled, making absolutely  _ no  _ effort to make it stop.

Merlin just continued to pet him until Arthur sort of just slumped over, head in Merlin’s lap, humming contently under his breath. This was an outcome Merlin was more than fine with. Getting caught bedding the Prince could get him killed, however getting caught petting the Prince’s hair while he practically purred away like a cat might get Merlin some raised eyebrows, but that was pretty much it.

Arthur shifted a bit to get more comfortable, still making absolutely no move to stop Merlin from petting him. It was cute, in a heartbreaking sort of way. Arthur was so weak to praise and affection because Uther rarely gave him either. Merlin flinched a bit when Arthur nuzzled his tummy before quickly relaxing and toying with the soft hair at the nape of his neck.

“Are you still awake?” He wondered.

Arthur made a soft, sleepy sound

“For now…” He sighed “...I’m still not a dog…”

Merlin snorted a fond laugh

“You say but make no effort to stop me,” He chirped.

Arthur hummed and turned over and his back. Merlin carded his fingers through his bangs

“You’re cute like a dog.”

Arthur chuckled sleepily and loosely wrapped an arm around Merlin as best he could

“I’m going to get some sleep… Before my father gets here to ‘teach me a lesson’,” He muttered.

Merlin just continued to pet him

“I’ll be here when you wake,” He assured.

He watched as Arthur slowly fell asleep, still gently petting his hair. He didn’t know why, but this was quickly becoming one of his favourite activities. Few things made him happier than seeing Arthur so relaxed and at peace. Merlin would have to pet him more often.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fic: *Is essentially just mpreg crack*  
> Me: Seems like the appropriate fic to touch on Uther's abusive parenting.


	12. Discipline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uther disciplines Arthur and learns why he's being so disobedient lately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uther losing his patience with Arthur will be a reoccurring theme in this fic.

Merlin hummed a little tune to himself as he weaved small braids into Arthur’s hair. They were tiny, as Arthur’s hair wasn’t yet long enough for anything else, but Merlin thought they were cute. He slumped a bit when the door opened, Arthur had only been asleep for about an hour, and Merlin didn’t want their cuddle time to end yet.

“What is  _ this _ ?” Uther sneered, gesturing towards them.

Merlin looked down at where Arthur’s head was still resting in his lap

“Oh… I was… Petting his hair,” He admitted “I think he found it soothing…”

Uther huffed before approaching a window

“Wake him up,” He ordered.

Merlin pursed his lips together before taking a deep breath

“Is there something you need, Sire?” He asked carefully.

If it was something Merlin could deal with, then he saw no need to disturb Arthur just yet. Uther glanced over his shoulder at Merlin

“What I  _ need  _ is my son to treat me with the respect I’m due,” He snarled “Something he’s been neglecting lately.”

Merlin lowered his gaze

“I’m sorry,” He muttered.

Uther approached, causing Merlin to flinch away

“And so you should be. It is his fondness for  _ you  _ that has turned him so disobedient,” He scoffed.

Merlin whimpered softly and chewed his lower lip. He figured he should probably wake Arthur up, but he didn’t want his Prince to keep suffering. He also couldn’t just throw himself in front of Uther’s wrath, not with a baby on the way.

“You’re gained weight recently,” Uther suddenly stated.

Merlin blinked a bit. He’d noticed?

“Oh… Yes, my Lord,” He chirped when he realized he should probably respond “I… I didn’t think you paid that much attention to the servants.”

Uther reached out and ran a hand through Merlin’s hair

“I don’t,” He huffed curtly “Only you.”

Merlin blushed deeply and averted his gaze as Uther’s hand trailed down to cup his cheek

“I’m… Flattered?” He didn’t know what else to say.

The tiniest smirk tugged at Uther’s lips, so clearly Merlin had said the right thing

“Ever since I took you into my bed, I’ve been plagued with thoughts and dreams of you,” He admitted softly.

Merlin swallowed thickly as his blush deepened. He kept his eyes locked with Uther’s as he subtly shook Arthur by the arm.

“Really? I didn’t think I’d been that memorable,” He chuckled sheepishly.

Uther leaned down to be eye level with Merlin and loosely gripped his chin

“You were  _ divine _ ,” He purred.

Merlin bit his lip and shook Arthur a bit harder

“Thank you…” He muttered “I’m glad I could be of service.”

Uther just continued to fondly stroke his cheek for a moment

“... Is there something you’re hiding from me?” He suddenly asked.

Merlin’s breath hitched and he paled a bit.

“Father?” Arthur’s sleep-heavy voice pulled him from his oncoming panic attack.

Uther took a step back and looked down at Arthur

“I see you’ve discovered another use for your manservant,” He commented flatly.

Arthur sat up and ruffled a hand through his hair, stilling and frowning in confusion when his hand got caught on the braids. Merlin pursed his lips together and forced himself not to giggle as he averted his gaze. Arthur looked up at Uther and blushed, pulling his hand out of his hair, leaving the braids be, much to Merlin’s excitement

“Use?” He muttered, deeply confused before perking up in realization “Oh! Right… It’s soothing.”

Merlin smiled fondly at him before turning his attention back to the King. Uther folded his hands behind his back

“That’s what Merlin assumed.”

Arthur glanced over at Merlin briefly before looking back up at Uther

“Why are you here?” He huffed, less than respectful.

Merlin crinkled his nose a bit. Uther narrowed his eyes and grabbed a fistful of Arthur’s hair, yanking him to his feet

“To teach you some manners,” He snarled, dragging Arthur over to the desk and pinning him over it.

Merlin quickly scrambled to his feet but stopped himself from going any further. Honestly, what did he expect to do? Arthur pawed at Uther’s hand, struggling weakly against his grip from where he was pinned, bent over the desk. If it weren’t such a tense situation, Merlin would have appreciated the view of Arthur’s backside.

Uther ran a hand up Arthur’s back, hiking his shirt up as he did. Arthur slumped against the desk a bit and huffed in frustration. Merlin uneasily sat back down, bouncing his leg nervously. He bit his lip when Uther tugged Arthur’s trousers down. He quickly averted his gaze and blushed deeply when Uther landed a heavy hit on Arthur’s bottom, pulling a startled yelp from him.

Merlin kept his gaze firmly on the floor as hit after hit sounded. Arthur was doing his best to muffle his sounds, but he couldn’t keep completely quiet. Merlin peeked up and chewed his lip. He supposed this was better than Uther beating him with his fists… 

Uther pulled away once Arthur’s backside was good and reddened, letting his gaze trail over the damage he’d dealt. Arthur had his arms crossed on the desk with his head buried in them. He wasn’t yet trembling, but he was extremely tense. Uther scoffed before tugging his belt off and bringing it down hard. Arthur’s head snapped up and he yelped, giving Uther a venomous glare over his shoulder.

After more than a half hour of Uther belting him, Arthur’s yelping had steadily evolved into muffled cries of pain. Merlin had to cover his ears so he wouldn’t have to hear it. He just wished there was  _ something  _ he could do… He glanced up reluctantly after a particularly hard hit that had Arthur begging under his breath

“Stop!” He gasped, struggling against Uther’s hold “Please stop… I’m sorry.”

Merlin sniffled a bit and lowered his hands. Arthur’s bottom was badly bruised and skin had been broken in some spots, causing blood to trickle down his thighs.

“Have you learned your lesson?” Uther hissed.

Merlin didn’t understand why he felt the need to be  _ so  _ cruel. Arthur nodded frantically

“Yes… I’ll treat you with the respect you’re due, my Lord,” He whimpered.

Uther scoffed and yanked him off the desk by his hair before tossing him aside. Arthur yelped when he stumbled back and landed square on his abused backside. Merlin stood with the intention to comfort Arthur, only to be stopped by a hand on his arm. Uther leered down at him

“Come,” He ordered.

Arthur immediately scrambled to his feet, tugging his trousers up awkwardly

“No!” He sputtered.

Uther sighed harshly in frustration at glared at Arthur

“Shall I bend you over the desk again?” He hissed.

Arthur flinched away and glared at the floor

“You… May do whatever you wish to me, just… Don’t touch Merlin,” He forced out, voice wavering somewhat.

It was clear to Merlin that he was wary about pushing Uther any further than he already had. Uther frowned in confusion

“Why would you go to such lengths for a  _ servant _ ?” He huffed.

Arthur crinkled his nose a bit. Merlin averted his gaze, they were starting to get to the point where they wouldn’t be able to hide the truth from Uther for much longer.

“I don’t want to see him hurt…” Arthur muttered.

Uther looked Merlin over with a confused glare

“What are you two hiding?” He snarled, digging his fingers into Merlin’s arm, causing him to whimper.

Arthur grit his teeth together before taking a step closer

“Nothing!” He assured “It’s nothing important.”

That was such a blatant lie, and it rubbed Merlin the wrong way. Mainly because it would definitely come out eventually. Either when Merlin  _ really  _ started to show, or when he just suddenly had an  _ entire baby _ . The point being, there was no way in Hell they could hide this forever.

Uther released Merlin’s arm only to bring his hand hard across Arthur’s face

“You have become  _ far  _ too comfortable with lying to me!” He growled.

Arthur stumbled back a bit from the force of the hit before quickly raising his hands to protect his face from any further assault. Uther continued to bare down on him and Merlin scrambled to his feet

“I’m pregnant!” He blurted out in a panic before Uther could strike his son again.

Uther froze, fist raised threateningly with Arthur pinned against the wardrobe. Arthur winced and lowered his gaze. Merlin let out a shuddering breath

“I had been blessed by a Druid…” He explained vaguely.

Uther turned to look at him in disbelief. Merlin nervously fiddled with the hem of his shirt

“We didn’t mean to hide it… We just… Well… It’s sort of a difficult thing to explain,” He muttered.

Uther slumped a bit and approached Merlin, cupping his cheek

“How long have you known?” He asked with a tenderness Merlin wished he’d never been subjected to.

“Uh… A while,” He mumbled, leaning a bit away from Uther.

There was something about the look in his eyes that was making Merlin uneasy. Uther pulled away and glared over his shoulder at Arthur

“You knew?” He snarled.

Arthur averted his gaze and shrugged

“I was trying to protect him. You’re blind where magic is concerned,” He huffed.

Uther scoffed and shook his head

“You no longer have to concern yourself with his safety,” He stated “ _ I  _ will make sure no harm comes to him or the baby.”

With that, Uther curtly left the room. Merlin just blinked in confusion for a moment before shaking his head and approaching Arthur

“Are you alright, Sire?” He worried.

Arthur leaned his back against the wardrobe and crossed his arms

“I won’t be able to sit comfortably for a while, but I’ll live,” He assured “I’m more concerned about my father’s… Strange reaction to your situation.”

Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur’s waist and buried his face in his shoulder

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help,” He sniffled.

Arthur eagerly embraced Merlin, holding him close and fondly rubbing his back

“I wouldn’t want you to be anyway,” He sighed “Just stay out of his way.”

Merlin pulled away a bit

“Apparently I’m not going to have much of a choice in the matter,” He reminded.

Arthur hummed and nuzzled Merlin’s nose

“Apparently… I still don’t know why  _ he  _ cares so much,” He muttered.

Merlin pursed his lips together. He had an idea why Uther might be concerned… He just hoped he was wrong… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All Merlin wanted was to just braid Arthur's hair. Is that really so much to ask?


	13. Assumptions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uther assumes the baby is his. Arthur and Merlin decide it best to let him believe that for the time being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why I bother trying to be historically accurate with this fic. It's not like show gave any fucks about historical accuracy. Like seriously, do we even actually know when the show is set? 'Cause I don't recall it ever being mentioned in the show, and I've watched it, in its entirety, at least 4 times in a row now lol
> 
> I'm on my fifth watch, 'cause ya boi does not control the hyperfixation, and I'm gonna wring as much serotonin out of this as I can before my stupid brain decides it's dead to me for a while 🙄

The next morning, after spending the night in Arthur’s chambers, Merlin was summoned to the King’s. He nervously knocked on the door, desperately hoping Uther wouldn’t notice Merlin was wearing the same clothes from yesterday. The door opened to reveal the King, who just looked him over

“Come in.”

Merlin followed him deeper into the room, hands held firmly over his stomach

“You wanted to see me, my Lord?” He mumbled.

Uther led him to and sat him down in a chair before sitting next to him

“Yes. I wanted to discuss our situation,” He explained.

Merlin blinked in confusion

“ _ Our _ ?”

Uther nodded curtly

“Our child,” He drawled “We should discuss what you intend to do with it.”

Merlin’s eyes widened in horror. This was exactly what he was afraid of. He drummed his fingers against his tummy a bit

“Um… I was sort of intending to… Raise it?” He muttered awkwardly.

Uther looked Merlin over again

“ _ No one  _ can find out who sired it,” He stated firmly “If this gets out to  _ anyone _ , I will have both you and the bastard burned at the stake.”

Merlin went stiff and he paled

“I w-won’t say anything, Sire,” He stammered nervously.

He hadn’t really intended to be all that open about it until Arthur was King anyway… Uther reached over and gently ran a hand up Merlin’s thigh

“It will want for nothing, and I will make sure you both are well cared for,” He assured.

Merlin lowered his gaze and nodded

“You just can’t have anyone finding out about it…” He mumbled.

Uther ruffled a hand through Merlin’s hair

“Precisely,” He agreed “Now… Go see Gaius to collect a salve for Arthur’s welts and tend to him.”

Merlin nodded eagerly and quickly fled the room. It wasn’t that he was excited to be tending Arthur’s wounds, it was that he desperately wanted to be as far away from Uther as possible.

He entered the physician’s chambers with a heavy sigh and approached Gaius

“I’m here for that salve,” He huffed.

Gaius raised an eyebrow at him

“You didn’t return last night. Did you stay with Arthur?” He asked while handing a small jar off to Merlin, who nodded.

“Yes. He’ll never admit it, but he was really shaken up after what Uther did,” He explained “I couldn’t just leave him on his own.”

He nodded his thanks for the salve before heading off. He tucked the jar in a pocket and headed to the kitchen to get Arthur’s breakfast. He was just glad the morning sickness didn’t seem to be as bad anymore. 

“Good morning, Merlin,” Gwen greeted as he stepped out of the kitchen.

He flinched a bit before turning a grin on her

“Good morning, Gwen,” He chirped “How are you?”

Gwen steadied him a bit, an amused smile on her lips

“I’m alright. How about you, how’s your… Condition?” She wondered after glancing around for prying eyes.

Merlin pursed his lips together

“It’s gotten a bit more complicated recently, but I’ll tell you about it later. I have to get up to Arthur,” He sighed.

Gwen fondly patted his arm

“How  _ is  _ Arthur?” She worried.

Merlin just gave her a wounded look and shrugged. She sighed and averted her gaze as Merlin took off.

He came to Arthur’s chambers, actually knocking this time, and walked in. He put the plate down on the table before looking over at Arthur, who was still lying in bed, but was very clearly awake and staring intensely at Merlin

“You were gone when I woke up,” He pouted “The whole point of you sharing my bed is so I can start the day with you in my arms.”

Merlin grinned and blushed before approaching the bed, sitting down on the edge

“Sorry, love,” He teased “I-” His breath hitched and he averted his gaze, he probably  _ shouldn’t  _ mention that he’d left because Uther had summoned him “-I had to collect this from Gaius.”

He pulled the jar out of his pocket. Arthur propped himself up on an elbow, resting his head on his hand

“What is it?” He wondered.

Merlin looked the jar over

“It’s for your… Welts…” He muttered awkwardly.

Arthur narrowed his eyes and blushed

“...Oh…” He grumbled “And how exactly did Gaius know to send me this?”

Merlin swallowed thickly

“Um… He said Uther ordered it for you,” He lied.

Arthur cocked an eyebrow, but chose not to comment on the blatant lie.

“I see… Well, I wouldn’t  _ need  _ it, if it wasn’t for Uther in the first place,” He huffed.

Merlin chuckled softly

“I know,” He hummed “Now roll over so I can treat your wounds.”

Arthur groaned but reluctantly did as he was told. Merlin tossed the blanket off and straddled Arthur’s thighs. They’d slept naked that night, and Arthur still had yet to get dressed, so Merlin didn’t have to fight with his clothes to get at the welts. The mere sight of the deep bruising and scabbed cuts made Merlin’s stomach twist.

He took a deep breath and opened the jar, scooping some of the thick paste out and gently rubbing it into his wounds. Arthur tensed and buried his face in a pillow, making a small sound of discomfort.

“Does it still hurt?” Merlin breathed.

Arthur lifted his head a bit and shrugged

“When you’re touching it, yeah…” He muttered “And it’ll probably hurt like Hell to sit…”

Merlin pursed his lips together and focused on his task. Hopefully the salve would help the pain… He really didn’t want Arthur to be in pain. A finger slipped down between the mounds of flesh and brushed Arthur’s hole, causing him to stiffen and gasp. Merlin immediately yanked his hands away

“Sorry!” He sputtered.

Arthur rested his head against the pillow again

“Relax,” He drawled “Am I complaining?”

Merlin blinked before slowly raising an eyebrow. Oh? He ran a hand up Arthur’s thigh then up between his cheeks again to tease him. Arthur shuddered and let out an adorable little moan that had Merlin straining against his trousers in seconds. He took a deep breath and got back to treating the wounds, this was  _ so  _ not the time to be getting dirty…

“You’re a tease,” Arthur scolded, voice muffled from his head being buried in the pillows again.

Merlin let a little smirk slip. Well yeah, that had sort of been the point. He just hadn’t expected it to have such an effect.

“And if someone ever takes you too hard, I’ll be more than happy to treat you,” He chirped.

Arthur snorted a laugh before looking over his shoulder as Merlin pulled away

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

He shifted and sat at the edge of the bed, wincing a bit at the pressure on his abused backside. Merlin quickly sat next to him and leaned against his shoulder

“Shall I dress you, my Lord?” He hummed.

Arthur tilted his head to rest it against Merlin’s and shrugged

“In a bit,” He sighed contently.

Merlin blushed but didn’t complain. If Arthur wanted to just cuddle for a moment, Merlin was more than happy to oblige.

“Ready to tell me the truth now?” Arthur suddenly asked.

Merlin winced and pulled away

“I just don’t want you to worry,” He mumbled.

Admittedly, that Uther had ordered the salve from Gaius wasn’t the lie, it was that Gaius was the one who’d given Merlin that information.  _ That  _ was the lie. Arthur gently took one of Merlin’s hands

“Well I’m already worried. I  _ always  _ worry when you lie to me,” He informed “So if it’s my concern you wish to avoid, then you should start just telling me the truth.”

Merlin lowered his gaze and bit his lip

“I’m sorry…” He muttered “The King summoned me this morning. That’s where I was, that’s how I knew to go pick up the slave, and who’d ordered it.”

Arthur took a deep breath, tightening his grip on Merlin’s hand

“What did he want from you?” He asked.

Merlin shrugged

“Nothing much… He just wanted to discuss the pregnancy, and to have me deliver this.” He motioned to the salve.

Arthur swallowed thickly

“Are you in danger?” He worried “He’s not going to have you executed, is he?”

Merlin quickly shook his head

“No, no. Not if I keep quiet about it,” He soothed “Which I intended to do until you become King anyway.”

Arthur let out a sigh of relief and relaxed somewhat before frowning a bit

“I’m surprised he’s so fine with this,” He stated.

Merlin averted his gaze

“That’s… Probably because he doesn’t know the baby is yours,” He explained.

Arthur leaned back on his hands

“He said to leave your protection to him… If he doesn’t know the baby is mine, then why does he care?”

Merlin crinkled his nose a bit

“Because… He thinks it's his,” He admitted reluctantly.

Arthur’s eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened in shock

“Are you serious?” He gaped.

Merlin cringed and nodded

“Yes… Obviously it’s  _ not _ , I was already pregnant when he bedded me,” He huffed “But  _ he  _ doesn’t know that, and it’s probably in our best interest to keep it that way. At least for the time being.”

Arthur stood, Merlin’s eyes dropping to his abused backside briefly before he turned around. Merlin didn’t raise his eyes though, just smirked as he admired Arthur’s manhood.

“Indeed. Let him think the baby’s his, will keep it safe until I’m King,” Arthur muttered, more to himself than anything.

He glanced up when Merlin didn’t respond and cocked an amused eyebrow

“Something you want, Merlin?” He teased, dropping a hand to grip the base of his cock.

Merlin quickly tore his eyes off it, blushing deeply

“I d-don’t know what you’re talking about, Sire,” He sputtered.

Arthur stepped forward so he was standing between Merlin’s legs and leaned down to kiss him deeply

“If you want it, take it now,  _ before  _ you dress me,” He purred against Merlin’s lips.

Merlin eagerly wrapped his arms around Arthur’s neck and pulled him closer. Arthur made quick work of removing Merlin’s clothes before gently lowering him to the bed

“Good thing I’m expected to stay in my chambers,” He chuckled “Or people might start to get suspicious.”

Merlin snorted a soft laugh

“For what it’s worth, I’m fairly certain at least  _ some  _ of the servants and guards already know,” He chirped “Since they’ve definitely seen me leaving your chambers in the morning, despite never having entered.”

Arthur grinned as he wrapped a hand around Merlin’s cock, which had softened somewhat. He gently coaxed it back to full mast, just watching Merlin’s needy little expressions

“You’re beautiful,” He praised fondly, reluctantly releasing Merlin’s cock to run his hand over the subtle swell of his stomach “ _ So  _ beautiful.”

Merlin squeezed his eyes shut and blushed deeply

“If you say so, my Lord,” He mumbled.

Arthur leaned down to press a kiss to Merlin’s tummy, smiling against his skin when he giggled

“Hello,” He breathed.

Merlin just watched Arthur fondly as he lovingly cooed at the bump

“You’re adorable,” He chirped, running a hand through Arthur’s hair “But  _ I  _ would like a little attention, if you don’t mind.”

Arthur snorted a fond chuckle as he sat up, easing Merlin further back on the bed so he could get comfortable between his legs

“You know, I’ve never bedded a pregnant person,” He stated “I’m not really sure what I can or can’t do… This won’t hurt the baby, will it?”

Merlin propped himself up on his elbows

“I don’t  _ think  _ so,” He hummed curiously “Be gentle, just to be safe.”

Arthur nodded as he reached over to the bedside table a grabbed a small jar of oil

“I will,” He assured “I’d never be able to forgive myself if I ever hurt either of you.”

Merlin giggled fondly. Arthur dipped his fingers in the jar and slicked the up before lowering them between Merlin’s legs

“Remember to relax,” He breathed.

Merlin nodded, just staring lovingly up at Arthur. He flinched a bit when a finger breached him, but he stayed relaxed. He rested his head back against the bed and hummed

“A lot more comfortable than that cave,” He chuckled before gasping when Arthur started to pump his finger in and out.

He shivered and bit his lip, reaching up to grip Arthur’s shoulders. He let out a needy little whine when Arthur brushed his sweet spot, spreading his legs a bit more

“Please,” He moaned.

Arthur just smirked and continued working him open

“We have to go slow, remember?” He teased.

Merlin huffed and pressed down on Arthur’s hand

“I don’t think that counts for your fingers,” He whined.

Arthur leaned down and took a nipple into his mouth, suckling as he pressed a second finger inside. Merlin sobbed desperately and buried his hands in Arthur’s hair, tugging gently. Arthur looked up at Merlin as he continued to teasingly suck on his nipple, pumping his finger slowly, scissoring them and grinding them against his sweet spot. Merlin was making the most gorgeous expression, and Arthur didn’t want to miss a single one. He quickly switched to the other nipple to give it the same treatment and pressed a third finger inside.

Merlin crinkled his nose and stiffened a bit before taking a deep breath to relax

“I missed this,” He breathed “We should do it more often.”

Arthur nipped Merlin’s nipple before pulling away and just staring down at him

“You certainly won’t hear me complaining,” He chirped, scissoring his fingers and grinning when Merlin whined.

He was so hard, it was getting difficult to focus. He wanted to just take Merlin already. But no. He’d control himself, he’d be patient. He’d die if  _ anything  _ ever hurt Merlin and their baby, particularly if that thing was  _ ever  _ him. He eased a fourth finger inside and massaged Merlin’s prostate

“Think you’re ready yet?”

Merlin immediately nodded frantically as he ground down on Arthur’s fingers

“Yes! For the love of God just take me already!” He wailed desperately.

Arthur shuddered a bit before tugging his fingers free

“ _ Merlin _ ,” He said in a faux-scandalized tone “Who knew someone so inexperienced could be such a little  _ harlot _ .”

Merlin hooded his eyes and bit his lip, grinning in a way he  _ hoped  _ was seductive

“Only for you, my  _ Lord _ ,” He purred.

Arthur’s eyes widened and he blushed deeply at that. This boy was going to be the death of him

“You little tease,” He groaned before shifting to line himself up with Merlin’s well-prepped hole, leaning down to kiss him deeply as he pressed inside.

He moaned into the kiss. Merlin was as tight, hot, and wonderful as the first time. Which was, honestly, to be expected, given how long it had been since then. Arthur had to break the kiss and sink his teeth into Merlin’s shoulder to keep from making a horribly embarrassing sound as he bottomed out

“It’s like you were made to take my cock,” He breathed.

Merlin giggled softly at that. If they truly were two sides of the same coin, maybe Arthur wasn’t wrong. Arthur straightened up and wrapped Merlin’s legs around his waist

“Are you okay for me to start moving?” He asked.

Merlin lifted a hand and cupped Arthur’s cheek, smiling lovingly when he turned his head to kiss his palm

“I’m ready,” He assured.

Arthur gripped Merlin’s hips and started a slow, gentle pace, making good sure to grind along that heavenly spot. Merlin shuddered and whined, pressing back to meet Arthur’s tender thrusts. As much as he desperately wanted Arthur to throw caution to the wind and plow him into the mattress, he didn’t want to risk hurting the baby. He grabbed one of Arthur’s hands and guided to his throbbing erection

“Please.”

Arthur smirked and wrapped his hand around the shaft, stroking it slowly in time with his thrusts

“Anything you want, I am at your command,” He purred, picking up the pace a touch.

Merlin hummed under his breath and let his eyes fall shut. Maybe it wasn’t the good, hard pounding he’d had in mind, but Arthur’s loving movements were taking him apart all the same. It was almost embarrassing how close he already was. Arthur leaned down, panting softly, and pressed their foreheads together

“If you keep tightening up around me like that, I won’t last long,” He moaned.

Merlin cupped his face and kissed him deeply, swallowing Arthur’s pretty moans. He lowered a hand to wrap his arm around Arthur’s waist and claw at his back. He didn’t want this to end, if he could, he’d let Arthur make love to him forever. But alas, he was right on the edge. He tilted his head back, breaking the kiss, and cried out as he tumbled over the edge after a particularly hard grind against his sweet spot. Arthur shuddered and shoved his face in the crook of Merlin’s neck

“W-Where?” He stammered.

Merlin tightly wrapped his arms around Arthur, holding him as close as possible

“Inside,” He pleaded.

Arthur tensed, a muffled moan escaping his lips. The feeling of his hot seed filling Merlin was almost enough to pull him over the edge a second time. He slumped on top of Merlin slightly, holding his weight on his elbows, arms trembling from the effort, so he wouldn’t crush the baby. Merlin took deep breaths as he came down from his high, head spinning with ecstasy. Arthur pushed himself off and rolled over on his back, lying next to Merlin, panting to catch his breath.

“Damn,” He chuckled softly “I’ll never get tired of having you in my bed.”

Merlin rolled over on his side and cuddled up to Arthur’s chest, grinning when an arm immediately wrapped around his shoulders

“And I’ll never tire of being in your bed,” He hummed.

A hand slid over and rubbed his belly. Merlin lowered his gaze and just watched Arthur caress the bump, an amused smile on his lips. Arthur already loved this baby so much, and as much as Merlin wanted to meet it himself, he almost wanted to see Arthur meet it more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sad attempts at historical accuracy are why I'm desperately avoiding using the word 'fuck' at any point by the way (I'm pretty sure the original Arthurian legend takes place in the 6th century, and the earliest use of the word 'fuck' is in the 14th century, I believe).
> 
> Which is a hell of a lot harder for me than you'd think, 'cause I use that word a _lot_ haha
> 
> Also, Arthur is a hard switch, and Gwen 100% pegs him. You can disagree, but just know that you're wrong lol

**Author's Note:**

> I've been drawing art to go with this fic, but as my motivation for drawing as been rock-bottom lately, they'll be posted as it's finished.   
> If you notice anything I may have neglected to tag, feel free to let me know, and I'll put the tag in. I just often forget what's in my fics lol  
> I hope you like the fic, and if you do, consider dropping a comment, they really help keep me motivated :D


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